The All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF,) on the 7th of May, wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi, the interim President of the Indian National Congress (INC.)
In the letter, the association urged Ms. Gandhi to stop indulging in “petty politics” over the fare of Shramik Special trains migrant workers in the pandemic illness the Novel Coronavirus.
Shiv Gopal Mishra, the General Secretary of the AIRF said travelling during the coronavirus pandemic is dangerous but railway staffers are making it possible through their hard work.
He said, “I request not to destabilise a good system which is enabling migrants to return home in 115 special trains because of petty momentary political gains.”.
The letter came after the INC leaders and Ms. Sonia Gandhi criticised the Central Government for charging money from migrant workers for going back to their native places.
The INC even announced to bear the expenses of the train tickets on behalf of the migrant workers who are stranded in the different parts of India due to COVID-19 infection.
Criticising the INC for petty politics Mr. Mishra said the Central Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dealt with the situation and is taking steps after speaking to the states.
Pointing out at the Shramik Special trains, which has been running since May 1 to transport the stranded migrant workers across the country, he said, in these trains, a very limited number of passengers travel and on the return journey, it comes empty.
Shiv Gopal Mishra said, “In the security, food and other services…railways has to spend a hefty amount,”. However, the Railway Ministry has said that 85 % of the fare is being borne by the national transporter and the remaining 15%t is borne by the state governments.
Till date, the national transporter has run over 163 trains and transported over 1.5 lakh migrant workers across the country.
Source – IANS.
