India News | HC Says No Clarity on Number of Labourers Stranded at Azadpur Mandi, Asks SDM to File Report
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Delhi High Court Tuesday said there was no clarity on the exact number of labourers stranded at Azadpur Mandi here since the COVID 19 lockdown and are in need of two square meals a day, while directed the SDM of the area to come up with clear figures.
New Delhi, Jun 9 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Tuesday said there was no clarity on the exact number of labourers stranded at Azadpur Mandi here since the COVID 19 lockdown and are in need of two square meals a day, while directed the SDM of the area to come up with clear figures.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad said a fresh affidavit shall be filed by the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Model Town to satisfy the court that the number of meals mentioned in the affidavit filed by the Delhi government tallies with the actual number of labourers who are stranded and in Azadpur Mandi.
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“There is no clarity as to the exact number of the labourers allegedly stranded in Azadpur Mandi. In our opinion, the SDM of the area ought to have undertaken an exercise and come up with clear figures. It is, therefore, deemed appropriate to direct the SDM of the area to undertake an exercise to identify the number of labourers who are stranded in Azadpur Mandi and are in need of two square meals a day and/or shelter,” the court said.
It said that the exercise be completed by the SDM on or before June 13 and an affidavit be filed by June 15.
The order came on a PIL by the Potato and Union Masakhour Merchant Association which has sought directions to the Delhi government to ensure that the nearly 1,000 labourers stranded at Azadpur Mandi here since the COVID-19 lockdown are provided "two square meals" each day.
The plea has also sought a direction to the Delhi government to lodge the stranded labourers in a makeshift shelter home within or near the market area.
The court asked the market association to assist the SDM and help in collating the requisite data.
The court had earlier sought response of the Delhi government on the plea and had directed it to ensure that the two hunger relief centres set up in Azadpur Mandi are provided enough cooked food so that the labourers stranded there can be provided packed lunch and dinner on a daily basis.
According to an affidavit filed by the Model Town SDM, there are two hunger relief centres located within the Azadpur Mandi and two other hunger relief centres are located within a radius of 150 meters, at Nigam Pratibha Vidyalaya (Co-ed), Bharola Village and Nigam Pratibha Vidyalaya (Co-ed), Sarai Peepal Thala.
The four hunger relief centres provide 1,300 lunch packets and 1,300 dinner packets per day to labourers and others in need, the affidavit said, adding that there is a DUSIB shelter home at Sarai Peepal Thala near Azadpur Mandi where the stranded persons including the labourers can stay.
During the hearing, the bench enquired from Delhi government additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal as to how many persons can be accommodated in the DUSIB shelter home at Sarai Peepal Thala and the three government schools.
He said he has no instructions in this regard.
The bench said, “we are of the opinion that this information is very material as it is the stand of counsel for the petitioner that even today there are about 1000 labourers in the Azadpur Mandi who are shelterless.” PTI SKV HMP SA 06092001 NNNNn Israeli and Egyptian blockade since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.
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The Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)