SC to hear petition seeking amenities for migrant workers

The apex court will hear a plea which seeks facilities to be provided to migrant workers by the government amid the lockdown imposed in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. The petition has been filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, seeking food, water, shelter and urgent indulgence to the plight of migrant workers and their families.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Monday hear a petition filed by an advocate against the Government of India, which seeks amenities to be provided to migrant workers by the government amid the lockdown imposed in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

The petition has been filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, seeking food, water, shelter and urgent indulgence to the plight of migrant workers and their families, including women, kids, elders, and others, who are walking on foot to their villages amid the lockdown.

A two-judge bench of the Apex Court headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde and also comprising Justice L Nageshwar Rao will hear the petition.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of the coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.

A total of 1024 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in India. 27 deaths have been caused due to COVID-19 in the country, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday.

(ANI REPORT)