Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday slammed the Centre over the reports of the Indian Railways charging for tickets from the migrants.
Rahul’s remarks came soon after Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi announced that party will bear the charges of rail tickets of migrants stranded across the country amid the nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of Covid-19.
“On one hand railways is charging for the tickets of the stranded labourers and workers in different states while on the other hand it contributed Rs 151 crore to the PMCARES fund. Solve this puzzle,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
The railways has decided to run the Shramik Special trains to transport the students, labourers, pilgrims and tourists across the country.
The first Shramik Special train with 1,200 passengers started on May 1 from Telangana to Jharkhand almost 40 days after the passenger, mail and express trains services were suspended.
Since then railways has operated over 25 such trains on the request of the state governments.
The railways has earlier said that it was charging the state governments for the Shramik special train tickets.
The railways also clarified that the Shramik Special trains are meant for “nominated people” identified and registered by state governments and the railways will not issue any tickets to any individual or entertain any request from any groups.