The Supreme Court (SC) on June 9, 2020 directed all the states and Union Territories (UTs) to 'consider' withdrawal of prosecution and complaints under Section 51 of Disaster Management Act and other related offences lodged against the migrant labourers "alleged to have violated measures of lockdown by moving on roads during the period of lockdown enforced under Disaster Management Act, 2005."

All the states and UTs had been directed to take all necessary steps regarding identification of stranded migrant workers in their state who are willing to return to their native places and take steps for their return journey by train/bus - whichever process could be completed within a period of 15 days.

Further, railways should provide Shramik trains within a period of 24 hours to facilitate the return journey of migrant workers. The Central Government has been asked to give details of all schemes which could be availed by migrant workers who have returned to their native places.

These were some of the directions passed by the Apex Court to ease the sufferings of the stranded migrant workers caught in the lockdown.

Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General informed the SC that by Shramik special trains approximately 57.22 lakh migrants have been shifted to various destinations located in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh etc. And around 41 lakh migrant workers had been taken from their respective places to their desired destination through road transport.