Migrant workers return to national capital as lockdown restrictions ease

Migrant workers start returning to Delhi from various parts of Uttar Pradesh, on Friday, August 8, 2020. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

A large number of migrant workers left for their home states after a nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25 in view of the rising cases of novel coronavirus infection in the country. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

The Supreme Court last week noted that states and Union Territories (UT) were yet to inform the court about what had been done to comply with its June 9 direction to maintain a record of migrant labourers who had arrived in these states and UTs in the wake of the lockdown. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)

The apex court pointed out that they “are required to bring on record the mode and manner in which records of migrant labourers who have reached their native places are being maintained with their skill, nature of employment and other details”. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

The June 9 order had, among other things, said that “details of all migrant labourers, who have reached their native places, shall be maintained (by the states and UTs) with details of their skill, nature of employment, earlier place of employment”. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

Taking suo motu cognizance of the difficulties faced by migrant labourers following the lockdown, the Supreme Court had on June 9 asked all states and UTs to do the needful to send those stranded back to their native places within 15 days. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)