NEW DELHI: Since the nationwide lockdown which began on March 24 triggering a massive migrants crisis in the country, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and state governments to identify and register migrant workers and make provisions to send them back to their native places within 15 days.

It also ordered to formulate employment schemes after conducting their skill mapping to rehabilitate them.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah also directed the Centre to provide additional trains within 24 hours of states

making the demand for sending the migrant workers back to their native places.

In a big relief to migrants penalised for violating lockdown norms, the top court also directed authorities to consider withdrawing all cases against migrant workers for alleged violation under the Disaster Management Act.

The bench also directed the authorities to identify and register migrant workers who want to go back to their native places and conclude the exercise, including their transportation within 15 days from Tuesday.

The bench, which posted the matter for further hearing in July, said the schemes for welfare and employment of migrant workers should be publicised well.

The top court had on June 5 reserved its order on the suo motu case registered on the plights of migrant workers during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown period.