Coronavirus lockdown: The railway’s latest move is likely to create a new flashpoint over running Shramik special trains
New Delhi, May 19:
The railways has said consent of destination states is not needed to send “Shramik” special trains carrying migrant workers. The move came after the centre noted many states were not allowing trains to enter amid the lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Consent of terminating state is not necessary to run Shramik special trains,” railway spokesperson Rajesh Bajpai said.
A missive and social media fight has been going on intermittently for the last few days between Union Ministers and the Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh over migrant movement.
While the centre has said the states should welcome more trains carrying migrants, these states in their own defence have accused the centre of playing politics by not acknowledging their decisions to receive more trains in the first place.
Home Minister Amit Shah is reported to have spoken to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to allow more trains to enter her state.
The railway’s latest move is likely to create a new flashpoint over running Shramik special trains. A major point of concern so far was a clause in the standard operating protocol (SOP) that allowed states to give permission to run the special trains.
The centre has now revised the SOP to override the states – their permission is no longer needed to send trains carrying migrants.
The centre has also asked states to allow trains carrying migrants to stop at more stations to prevent them from jumping off the trains when they are passing by their home districts.
Till now, trains have been running from only one station in a state to another station in the destination state – from point A to point B – to avoid crowding. The centre said the Railways Ministry must ensure migrants know about their trains at least 24 hours before departure.
Thousands of migrants have been walking home from the cities in the summer heat after they couldn’t get transport in the days after the lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 25.
The centre eventually started running the Shramik special trains for them. Despite that, a sheer number of migrants are still seen on the highways making their way home.
