Send Migrant Workers Home In 15 Days, Drop Lockdown Violation Cases Against Them: SC To Centre, States

SC also said that the Centre must provide for trains within 24 hours of demand for stranded migrant labourers' transportation to their native places.

(PTI Photo)

New Delhi: In a crucial ruling on Tuesday on the migrant workers’ crisis, the Supreme Court asked the states to send back the migrant workers to their native places within a period of 15 days adding that the cases aganst the labourers for violating coronavirus lockdown rules should be considered for withdrawal. All cases registered against migrants who have allegedly violated lockdown orders to be considered for withdrawal under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, said the apex court in its ruling on Tuesday. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah also directed both the Centre and states to prepare a list for identification of migrant workers in a streamlined manner. Also Watch: It said that employment relief is to be mapped out and skill-mapping to be carried out to migrant labourers. It has asked all the states to submit their detailed affidavits on schemes, job creation etc. and has fixed the matter for further hearing on July 8, when it will take up the case next. Supreme Court said in its order that in the event of demand of Shramik Trains, Railways shall provide trains for the workers willing to travel to their homes within 24 hours. It also directed Railways to provide all schemes to migrant workers and publicise them. On Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged the government to increase the number of guaranteed days of employment to 200 from the current 100 under the MGNREGA scheme, with 8 crore migrants expected to relocate due to the Covid-19  pandemic. He said this will help provide employment opportunities to the relocated migrants near their homes and asked the government to make panchayats the fulcrum, in terms of both devolution of funds and in identifying prospective projects.