New Delhi, June 9 : The Supreme Court on tuesday asked the Centre and States to send migrant workers opting to go to home town within a period of 15 days and also directed that all cases booked against them for violating lockdown norms amid COVID crisis while attempting to move from their work places to their homes should be withdrawn immediately.
The Centre, States and Union Territories have been asked to identify migrant workers who want to go home and made their arrangements at government cost
The order was delivered by Justices Ashok Bhushan, M R Shah and V Ramasubramaniam who made it clear the remaining work to transport migrant workers to their home towns should be completed within a fortnight.
The SC also asked the Indian Railways to provide Shramik Special Trains to the States and Union Territories within 24 hours of receiving such requests from the Governments at point of origin. According to the Centre, the States and Union Territories have requested for 171 Special trains to ferry workers to their home towns.
The Supreme Court also asked the respective governments to arrange for the welfare schemes for migrant workers who were returning home for food and employment. The apex court was of the view that such welfare schemes would enable the migrant workers to get employment in their home towns. Therefore the apex court asked the respective governments to prepare of such migrant workers.
During last hearing, the apex court was informed that nearly one crore migrant workers have already been sent to their home towns all over India from their places of work.
