Order of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of Alakh Alok Srivastava Vs Union of India dated 31/03/2020 regarding redressal of grievances of migrant labourers in different part of the country affected by lockdown due to COVID-19.

In the above writ petitions, the petitioners have highlighted the plight of thousands of migrant labourers who along with their families were walking hundreds of kilometres from their work place to their villages/towns. The concern of the Petitioners pertains to the welfare of the migrant labourers. They are seeking a direction to the authorities to shift the migrant labourers to government shelter homes/accommodations and provide them with basic amenities like food, clean drinking water, medicines.

The Solicitor General of India informed the apex court that 21,064 relief camps have been set up by various state governments and Union Territories where the migrant labourers have been shifted and provided with basic amenities. Status report filed stated that 6,66,291 persons have been provided shelters and 22,88,279 persons have been provided food.

The SC gave directions to the media (print, electronic or social) to "maintain a strong sense of responsibility and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic is not disseminated." The police and the authorities have been asked to deal with the migrants in a humane manner and suggested that the state governments engage volunteers along with the police to supervise the welfare activities of the migrants.