"Plea in SC: Let migrant workers return home after corona test", 19 April 2020

A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre to allow migrant workers'' to return to their native places, after testing them for COVID-19, and the authorities concerned should ensure safe transportation.

The plea contended that a large number of migrant workers, who wish to go back to their native villages to live with their families, was evident from the sudden rush in the wake of the initial 21-days national lockdown announced on March 24, and it resulted in a chaos at various bus terminals.

Citing the migrant workers'' decision to walk on foot back home, the plea said this led to tragic deaths of many such migrant workers who were left with no option but to travel hundreds of kilometers to their native places by foot...

...For this purpose, necessary transport services may be provided by the state governments in abundance so that the purpose of ''social distancing'' is not defeated", said the plea. Moreover, the plea sought necessary arrangements for testing of COVID-19 to be conducted on all those migrant workers who wish to travel to their native places, either in the state of their departure or in the state of their arrival...