NEW DELHI: Taking up for the poor migrant workers stranded in different parts of the country and unable to return home due to a nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus , the National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday asked the Union government to issue guidelines and standard operating procedure to public servants in all states and Union territories to “behave in a sensible manner with people, particularly those belonging to vulnerable sections” and to respect their human rights while implementing the lockdown.Seeking a response from the home ministry, the NHRC directions came on the heels of NHRC special monitor and rights activist Maja Daruwala alleging that in order to effectively implement lockdown guidelines, public servants, including police personnel, tend to mete out harsh treatment towards ill-informed, poor labourers and undermining their rights in the process.Directing the Union to respond, the Commission said while it found the government’s efforts appreciable, poor labourers and daily wages workers are facing extreme difficulties due to shortage of food and other facilities. “They can be asked to stay off the streets with some degree of compassion without being cruel and abusive using excessive force,” NHRC said.Another rights group, the National Federation of Indian Women , also expressed disappointment over the government’s ‘Lockdown guidelines’ and said they only highlighted government’s insensitivity towards the plight of the poor in India.NFIW emphasised the lack of an economic relief package for those who lost their livelihood and for the security of health workers. It also criticised the government for not announcing an enhanced allocation for ensuring 100 days of employment and timely payment to job card holders under MGNREGS, the rural employment guarantee scheme, of which the majority are women.NFIW demanded that the Union government increase permitted MGNREGA days to 200 days and ramp up allocation for this. It also sought financial help for migrant workers stranded in different parts of the country, withdrawal of ration card criteria for availing free rations and asked for the universalisation of PDS in light of the coronavirus pandemic.