By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, May 8, 2020: Migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places have something to cheer about with the Supreme Court Friday staying the order of the Odisha High Court not to bring the state Covid-19 positive persons.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan stayed the high court order which was challenged by the Centre.

The apex court issued notice to the concerned parties on the appeal which was mentioned by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

The High Court on Thursday had asked the state government to ensure that all migrants, who are in the queue to enter Odisha, should be tested negative for Covid-19 before boarding the conveyance.

The plea filed in the Apex Court said, the High Court order may have a “cascading effect” on migrants of other states as well.

It claimed that the order, “apart from being unworkable”, failed to notice the standard operating procedure already being followed by the Centre and the state governments. The High Court order ignores the nature of pandemic and the “delicate handling of the situation by the executive, after consideration of all possible factors,” the appeal pleaded,

It further said that the Centre, in conjunction with the state governments, is taking all possible precautions at the stage of boarding, during travel, after de-boarding and subsequent quarantine.

The Centre has told the apex court that after completion of a strict 40 day lockdown, in which no inter-state travel of any kind was permitted, a decision was taken that migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places would be allowed to travel back to their native places.

The appeal, which sought setting aside of the high court order, said that ‘Shramik special’ trains have been started and till now, a total of 162 trains have originated.

Following the high court’s order, three trains, which were to bring stranded people to Odisha from Surat in Gujarat, were cancelled on Thursday.