Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal begins arguing.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta: Let them argue only after the reports have been filed. this court cannot be made a political platform.

@KapilSibal
#MigrantWorkers

Sibal to SG: It’s a humanitarian crisis. Nothing to do with politics. Don’t make it personal.
SG: This forum should not become a political platform.
Sibal: it's a humanitarian crisis.
SG: What's your contribution in the crisis?
Sibal: 4 Crores. That's my contribution.
@KapilSibal

Sibal - I as a counsel want to assist the court
SG - then let the reports come
Sibal - I am seeking indulgence of the Court. You can’t object to that.
Sibal - I am appearing for 2 organisations.
#MigrantWorkers
@KapilSibal

Bench to Sibal:
We cannot have organisations argue at this point. Otherwise everyone will want to come here and argue. At a relevant stage we will seek your assistance.
Sibal: I'm not here for a political purpose. Will only take 15 minutes.
@KapilSibal
#MigrantWorkers

Sibal begins arguing:
Under the DMA, whenever there is a disaster, a national plan should be prepared by the NEC which is then approved by the DM authority presided over by the Prime minister. Minimum standards include shelter, food, drinking water, medical cover and sanitation..

"Till date no min. standards have been set up for any of the above categories. The problem has risen due to this.
There has to be coordination between national, state and district plans. Responsibility has been shifted to state governments without minimums standard"
@KapilSibal

"This is the reason [non-implementation of minimum standards and lack of coordination] why people are walking. It has nothing to do with politics. People are walking away from shelters because the shelter homes are not upto standard."
- Sr. Adv. @KapilSibal

- No plan pointed out in the centre’s affidavit. Not on the state level or district level.
- If it’s going to take 3 months to transport rest of the people, what are the arrangements?
- Trains running on 3% capacity.

Sr. Adv. @KapilSibal makes submissions in the #Migrants issue

- There are people who don’t speak Hindi, there are migrants from other states who are not able to communicate. What food is being provided to them? Pulses is not the answer. Where will they cook all this?

Sr. Adv. @KapilSibal adds

Sibal: In the current situation, it will take 3 months for people to go.

SG - They don’t wish to go. You don’t understand that ?
Sibal: How can you say that?

SG - I said they were leaving on foot because of local instigation!

#MigrantWorkers
@KapilSibal

Bench: Don't play blame game

Sibal: I'm pointing out statutory provisions. Not blame game. SG should tell us where is the notification under section 12 with minimum standards (Under DMA).
@KapilSibal
#MigrantWorkers

Bench: Now state of Maharashtra counsel has come. We want to hear them.
Adv R. Chitnis for Maharashtra. Starts apprising the Court about expenses made.

Bench: We are not interested in the expense. We want to know how many people are waiting to go home?

#MigrantWorkers

Bench asks Counsel for Maharashtra:

"We are asking you how many people are waiting to go home. Are you providing them food or not? Most affected state is Maharashtra?"

#Maharashtra
@mygovMaha
@CMOMaharashtra
#MigrantWorkers

Bench:
"All states must file their reports"

Senior Advocate Indira Jaising -
"Everybody has been heard except the migrant workers"

@IndiraJaising

"There are surplus trains that can be used for #migrants. Only 3% trains being used as of now.
There are 4 crore migrants waiting to get back home. SG says we cannot divert trains used for essential commodities. There are a total of about 4 crore migrants waiting" Jaising

SG: You are instigating others to shift who don't want to shift?
Jaising: We are giving you statistics based on the press release issued by the Indian railways. We got numbers of migrants from the report filed by the CentrE in the alakh alok Shrivastava case.
@advocate_alakh

Jaising: Question is, how many days will it take to ensure that every migrant reaches home?

Bench: "We are not saying everyone wants to go. We are asking how many are waiting."
#MigrantWorkers

Jaising: "They're asking for pre booking registration. Information about where and how are trains going to depart. They published schedule for #VandeBharathMission but not for these [ #ShramikSpecialTrains] trains.

#MigrantWorkers

Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves: I'm representing a migrant labour organization. My suggestions are on page 6 of my application.
Bench - "Don’t read it. We’ll look into it"
Gonsalves - "no let me read it"
Bench - "no we will read it ourselves"
Gonsalves reads.
@DColinGonsalves

SG to Gonsalves:
You are reading but reading for whom? Give me a copy. I’ll read it myself.

Bench: You don’t listen to us and are just going on reading ? Just tell us 1 or 2 suggestions that we can facilitate.

Gonsalves: Given the current figures, it will take 6-8 months for all migrants to get back home.

SG: Please don’t allow him to instigate My Lords.

Gonsalves - "We want food and water free and immediately. Cannot have online registration. The registrar should be in person"

Senior Advocate Sanjay Parikh now submitted Activist n Medha Patkar's petition seeking uniform ticketing system for #MigrantWorkers and other necessities to safeguard them. "We have given suggestions"

@medhanarmada

Senior Advocate Abhishek M. Singhvi appears for Congress Leader Randeep Singh Sujrewala

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta:
"Don’t let this be politicised"

@rssurjewala @INCIndia

Bench to Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi who is appearing for Congress Leader Randeep S. Sujrewala's application in the #MigrantWorkers issue-
"So far how the things are, your party [Congress] is also in governance in multiple states."
@INCIndia
@rssurjewala
@DrAMSinghvi

"As I told Mr. Sibal, he is de hors the petition - an officer of the court. If you have suggestions we will hear." Bench tells Sr. Adv. Singhvi

Singhvi: Migrant is reaching the station without knowing whether he is going to get in the train. @DrAMSinghvi

A large number of points of departure or arrival do mot have relief camps. There are groups of people standing at the bus stations and railway station. There is no supporting camp. No state, or nationwide plan: Singhvi

Bench: You give whatever suggestions as officer of the court

SC Bench now dictating order:

- Several states and UTs have filed their response;

- Report by the centre has also been placed by SG Tushar Mehta and he has submitted that from May 1, #sharmiktrains are working to take #migrants back to their homes...

#MigrantWorkers

Order being dictated
SG has submitted
- Quarantine facilities operative in states.
- Payment of fares of railway ticket is done by receiving state or originating state.
- Payment of fares of railway ticket is done by receiving state or originating state....

#MigrantWorkers

"With regard to the state of Bihar, it has also reimbursed the fare to migrants who had paid for their tickets and SG has submitted that coordinated steps being taken."

"We have also heard Counsel for Rajasthan, UP & Maharashtra.... "

- SC Bench dictating order

Supreme Court:
"We have also heard Kapil Sibal and Dr Singhvi who have given suggestions as officers of the court. Shri Parikh has also given suggestions for taking remedial steps. Ms. Jaising has submitted that the no. Of trains has to increase"

SC Bench dictating order in #MigrantWorkers issue:
"We are at present concerned with the miseries and difficulty of migrants trying to get to their native place"

Although there is not doubt that concerned State Governments and UTs are taking steps, there are several lapses.

"There are several lapses that we have noticed in the process of registration, transportation and providing food water to the migrants. Even after registration the migrants have to wait for a long time for their turns to come."

- Supreme Court in #MigrantWorkers issue

"Some of the states have not filed any replies to our notice. Due to the short time available at their disposal they could not file complete report. Some states have not even filed any reply. Shri Mehta also says he should be given some more time to file the response"
- Bench

"We believe that the centre and state governments require to be given some time to bring the steps taken by them on record.
At present, looking at the miseries of the #migrantworkers, we are of the view that some Interim Directions need to be issued"

- Supreme Court

Interim Directions being dictated by Top Court in case(s) pertaining to problems & miseries faced by #MigrantWorkers stranded across country:

- No fare either by train or bus shall be charged for migrant workers. Railway fare to be shared by states.

SC's Interim Directions
- #Migrantworkers shall be provided food by the concerned state and UT at places- To be publicised & notified for the period they are waiting for their turn to board a train or a bus.

- During train journey, originating states will provide meal & water.

SC's Interim Directions:
- Railways to provide meal and water to #MigrantWorkers . Food and water to also be provided in buses

- State shall oversee the registration of migrants & states to ensure that after registration, they are made to board transport as early as possible.

SC's interim directions in cases(s) pertaining to issue of #Migrantworkers crisis:
- Complete information should be publicised to all concerned.

SG interjects - - "Kindly wait for my report"

Bench- We are not on the centre govt at all. We are issuing directions to State Govts.

SC's interim directions:
- Those #migrantworkers found walking on the roads, immediately be taken to shelters & provided food and all facilities.

SG: We are already doing that. Your Lordship, this directions may encourage more people to move.

SC's Interim Direction calls for necessary details to be brought on record in reply regarding
- number of #migrants awaiting transportation to native places;
- plan for transportation;
- mechanism of registration;
- other [requisite] details.

Bench:
"As and when the state governments put in a request for trains, railways has to provide them."

Parikh: Somebody who has been waiting could also start walking.

SG: That's instigation. We need 10 days to reply. All officials doing a lot of work.

#MigrantWorkers

SC passes order in #migrantworkers crisis issue.
Says order will be dasti.
"Replies to be filed by next Friday, June 5."