SC transfers to HCs plea on plight of brick kiln workers

The Supreme Court today transferred to the Orissa and Andhra Pradesh High Courts the plea on the plight of migrant labourers working in brick kilns in Odisha and Telangana.
The court, which had suo motu taken note of news reports about chopping off of the hands of the workers by some contractors, asked its registry to prepare two sets of its judicial records of the case for the two High Courts.
The social justice bench of justices Madan B Lokur and U U Lalit also asked the Chief Justices of the High Courts to look into the cases and arraign state Principal Labour Secretary as party, as the matters related to the welfare of migrant workers.

The apex court had on its own taken up the matter relating to a horrific incident of the right hands of two migrant labourers from Odisha being chopped off by a contractor from Andhra Pradesh in December, 2013.
The bench said the State Legal Services Authorities of Odisha and Telangana have filed reports and suggested measures to improve the situation of migrant workers. The respective High Courts will have to ensure their implementation, it said.
Earlier, it had come down heavily on the state governments saying the workers were being treated like "dirt".
Expressing dissatisfaction over the steps taken by the state governments, it had directed the state governments of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to file "proper" affidavits within four weeks indicating short and long term measures to prevent exploitation of migrant workers and ensure the safety of those involved in brick kiln industry.

The court had also directed Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to inform it about the action plan and steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.