Centre’s order to collect train fare from migrants upsets Opposition
NEW DELHI: The Railway’s order to get migrant labourers to pay their way home and the states to collect that payment, has become the new flashpoint between the government and the opposition.
A provision in a set of guidelines issued by Railways that drew a good deal of flak, said the “local state government shall handover the tickets for these passengers cleared by them and collect the ticket fare and hand over the total amount to Railways.”
With the state governments in charge of issuing the tickets and collecting the fees, many states, mostly those ruled by the opposition, are apprehensive of a political fallout. The states ruled by non-bjp parties have been demanding that the centre bears the cost of travel.
“If you are stuck abroad during this COVID crisis this government will fly you back for free but if you are a migrant worker stranded in another state be prepared to cough up the cost of travel (with social distancing cost added). Where did ‘PM Cares’ go? Like I said earlier you were better off getting stranded overseas & flown back home!,” tweeted NC leader Omar Abdullah.
In the SOP, the railways said the responsibility for food, security, health scanning, providing tickets to the stranded will be with the state from which the train is originating. It has however taken the burden of providing one meal to passengers whose journey will be of 12 hours or more.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury hit out at the Union government for burdening the states and said the situation with migrant workers was a result of the Centre's abrupt announcement of a lockdown.
“It is very unfair that the entire responsibility has been shifted to the state governments. This problem was not caused by the states. In the Parliament, the government said it bore the entire cost of repatriating Indians stuck abroad. In the same manner the migrants should have been sent back.
“Anyway, thousands of crores have been directed to PM-CARES,” Yechury said.
The railways on Friday rolled out the special trains to ferry migrant workers, students and others stranded in various parts of the country since the nationwide lockdown began on March 25. While the railways is yet to issue any clarification on the charges, officials said as the transporter, railways was charging the states for services rendered.
Railway officials said there have been no issues so far with states on payments while some states like Jharkhand have already paid in advance, others like Gujarat has arranged for an NGO to sponsor part of the services.
Criticising the decision to charge for the travels, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav said exploiting the poor in times of a disaster is the “job of money lenders, not the government”.
“The news of the BJP government taking money from the poor, helpless labourers going back home by train is very shameful. It has become clear today that the BJP, which pardons billions to capitalists, is with the rich and against the poor. Exploiting during a disaster is the job of money lenders, not the government,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar said his party was ready to provide aid to the state government for payment of train fare for migrants.
“Giving 1 crore cheque to KSRTC from the KPCC for ensuring Free Transport to our working class & labour people who are suffering to reach home because of the rates being charged by the Karnataka Govt. Govt should let us know if they need more, the KPCC will fulfill that as well,” he tweeted.