Centre Picking Up 85% Tab Of Migrant Workers Travel, BJP Hits Back
The Railways has subsidised 85% of the rail fare of migrant workers returning to their home states during the lockdown period to the extent of 85%, BJP spokesman, Sambit Patra, clarified on Monday. The Railways has come forward to cover 85 per cent of the ticket fare for Shramik Express trains or the special trains being run to transport migrant workers to their home states and the state government concerned, has to pay the remaining 15 per cent, the BJP spokesman said.
Some have posted tickets & asked clarification that if tickets are not sold then what's this!
— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) May 4, 2020
For each Shramik Express about 1200 tickets to the destination are handed by the Railways to State Govt.
State govts are supposed to clear the ticket price & hand over tickets to workers https://t.co/Axtmen5nY9 pic.twitter.com/kTUWThmeP3
Rahul Gandhi ji,
— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) May 4, 2020
I have attached guidelines of MHA which clearly states that "No tickets to be sold at any station"
Railways has subsidised 85% & State govt to pay 15%
The State govt can pay for the tickets(Madhya Pradesh's BJP govt is paying)
Ask Cong state govts to follow suit https://t.co/Hc9pQzy8kQ pic.twitter.com/2RIAMyQyjs
The BJP's response came in the wake of scathing criticism from the Congress party accusing the Centre of being insensitive to the needs of migrant workers and charging them during this unprecedented crisis. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, offered on behalf of her party, to meet the cost of transporting migrant workers stranded in various parts of the country to their home states.
The BJP clarification came immediately after Sonia Gandhi and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi slammed the Centre and the rail ministry. The BJP spokesman further said that the state government in question can also pay for the tickets, as the Madhya Pradesh government had done. Sambit Patra urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to tell the Congress-ruled states to follow the example of Madhya Pradesh.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had attacked the Railways for charging poor migrant workers their ticket fare, pointing out that it (the Indian Railways) had donated over Rs 151 crore to the PM-CARES Fund. The railway ministry has also said to have clarified that the railways are not booking any train directly nor our tickets being sold anywhere, according to media reports.