Send migrants home in 15 days, withdraw cases against them: SC
Top court directs Centre to provide addl trains to send migrant workers home within 24 hours if state demands it
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday directed all states and UTS to consider withdrawing charges against migrant workers who had been booked for allegedly violating the Disaster Management Act by stepping out on the streets in a desperate attempt to reach their homes after they ran out of food, jobs and other amenities in light of the COVID-19 lockdown.
In a slew of directions issued by the top court on Tuesday with respect to the suo motu matter pertaining to the plight of stranded migrant workers, a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and MR Shah also ordered all states and Union Territories to actively identify all stranded migrant workers who wished to return to their native places and ensure that they reach their home states by train or bus in the next 15 days.
These directions from the Apex Court, however, came after almost three months of unending suffering faced by India’s migrant workers. As
lakhs of them were forced to step out on the roads to reach home amid the lockdown, at
least 200 were killed in various road accidents, many more died of starvation and exhaustion on their way home and in the last month, official figures showed that at least 88 migrant workers had died on board the Shramik Special trains amid complaints that food and water were not being provided to them on the special trains being run by the Centre.
The SC bench further ordered that in addition to the 171 more Shramik Specials that have been requisitioned by various states and UT governments, the Railway Ministry must fulfil the demand for trains from the states within 24 hours. The court also directed the Centre to widely make public and make migrant workers aware of the government schemes that they can avail, now that they have reached their homes.
The court has now also directed all state/ut governments to advertise schemes under their administrations available for returned migrant workers, including ones that would identify their skills and find avenues for their employment. Further, the court has ordered that the state governments must also identify migrant workers who wish to return to cities or other areas to resume their jobs and facilitate their movement to these places so that they can resume employment.
The top court also laid a detailed plan for local administrations to establish counselling centres and help desks at the block and district levels to provide assistance to those who have returned with government schemes, employment opportunities and skill identification. The state governments must also maintain details of all returned migrant workers with specifics about their skills, nature of employment and earlier place of employment in a village-wise manner at the block and district levels.