The clarification comes after several opposition parties including the Congress attacked the Government accusing it of charging stranded migrants for train travel amidst the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of novel Coronavirus.
Representational Image (Photo: Twitter | @IRTSassociation)
The Government has finally released an official statement saying that it “never talked about charging migrants,” returning to their natives places, for train travel, and added that the railways is bearing 85 per cent of the total cost incurred with the states being charged the remaining 15 per cent.
The clarification comes after several opposition parties including the Congress attacked the Government accusing it of charging stranded migrants for train travel amidst the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of novel Coronavirus.
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“We have given the permission to run special trains on states’ request. We are dividing the cost in 85-15 per cent (railway: states) as per the norms. We never asked states to charge money from the stranded labourers,” Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal told reporters.
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Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Railways sources had clarified that only a standard fare, which is just 15 per cent of the total cost incurred by the railways is being charged from the state governments. They also stated that the Indian Railways is not selling any tickets to migrants and is only boarding passengers based on lists provided by states.
The ministry further said that the railways has run 34 ‘Shramik Special’ trains so far from different parts of the country and is “fulfilling its social responsibility of providing safe and convenient travel especially to the poorest of the poor in a time of crisis.”
Soon after the Congress attacked the central government over the issue, the BJP today said that the Indian Railways has subsidised 85 per cent of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrants and the state government has to pay the remaining 15 per cent.
Amidst criticism that the Indian Railways was charging stranded migrants for ferrying them home, sources quoted by PTI said payments for 34 ‘Shramik Special’ trains that have been run so far, have been made by the state governments, barring Maharashtra.
A controversy erupted on Monday after several opposition parties demanded that migrant workers should not be charged for the train tickets. While the Congress offered to pay for them, the BJP said the railways was already providing subsidised tickets bearing 85 percent of the travel costs.
Even BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had lashed out at the Centre calling the move “moronic”. He pointed out how Indians abroad were flown back free by Air India.
“How moronic of the Government of India to charge steep rail fares from the half-starved migrant labourers! Indians stranded abroad were brought back free by Air India. If Railways refuse to budge then why not make PM CARES pay instead?” Swamy tweeted.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi also attacked the Government over the issue and declared that the Congress would pay the train fare for them.
“The Indian National Congress has been raising this issue from the outset of the lockdown. There need to be provisions for the safe and free rail travel of migrant workers and labourers to their home-towns. However, despite our repeated demands, the Central Government and the Rail Ministry have chosen to completely ignore the same,” Gandhi said in a statement today.
Sonia Gandhi said that when the Government can recognise its responsibility by arranging free air travel for our citizens stranded abroad, why can’t it do the same for stranded citizens.
“When it can spend nearly Rs 100 crore on transport and food etc for just one public programme in Gujarat, even when the Rail Ministry donates Rs 151 Crores to the PM’s Corona fund, then why can’t these essential members of our nation’s fabric be given a fraction of the same courtesy, especially free rail travel, at this hour of acute distress?” she further questioned.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also slammed the Central government for charging migrants for their ride back home while questioning the donation made by the Ministry of Railways to the PM CARES Fund.
The Indian Railways had started running the ‘Shramik Special’ trains for transporting the labourers from May 1, almost 40 days after the passenger, mail and Express trains services were suspended.
Till now, the national transporter has run 34 ‘Shramik Special’ trains on the request of the state governments to ferry the migrant labourers.
The first Shramik Special train with 1,200 passengers started on May 1 from Telangana to Jharkhand.
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