New Delhi: A day after the railways ran five trains to take stranded migrants back home, the ministry now has 500 more trains lined up to travel across the country over the coming two weeks. Eleven of them have already been cleared by the railways ministry, according to the Indian Express.
The ministry is waiting for more requests from states before deciding the train routes. Sources have said that at least 1200 rakes are currently available and more can be pressed into service.
Trains to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh – states which have the maximum number of migrant labourers – have been prioritised. Officials said that two trains have been planned to take migrants from these states from Tirur and Ernakulam in Kerala to different destinations within the two states.
Two more trains will run from Kota in Rajasthan to Barauni and Gaya in Bihar on Sunday. Another train is scheduled from Bengaluru to Danapur in Bihar. Officials told the Indian Express that Kota might see a train leaving every day to bring back students and migrants.
On Saturday, the Railways issued a notice for Shramik Special trains, saying that for the train to run, at least 90% of the trains should be full. It also said that only those trains which cover a distance over 500 kilometres will run. The passengers will be provided with a meal by the Railways at the stations of origin.
There are, however, a set of teething issues that still need to be resolved. For instance, the daily said, it was found that a majority of passengers in the Agra-bound train from Sabarmati were from Kanpur, and wanted the train to drop them off there. The confusion, the Railways said, was the result of a communication gap between the Union ministry and the state government. Authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat had not informed the railways about the native destinations of the majority of migrants.
Also read: Police Find 18 Migrant Workers Travelling to UP From Mumbai in Concrete Mixer Truck
In yet another instance, West Bengal withdrew the clearance it had given to evacuate pilgrims from Ajmer at the last moment, forcing the railways to change its plans. The train eventually took off after a “written permission” from the state.
Again, while the Rajasthan government had been sought trains from the Centre, it had not duly requested the Railways for the same.
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have now requested the Railways to arrange more trains for their states.
The Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand is the only state to have transferred the ticket fare in advance to the back accounts of migrant workers, the Railways said. The Centre has attracted some criticism from the opposition parties for charging the migrant workers, a majority of whom are left with no money or food at all.
It is sheer cruelty to expect workers who have absolutely no earnings for the last two months, because of the lockdown, to pay for their own train tickets. Nor can State Governments bear this financial expenditure when they have not received any help from the Central Government. pic.twitter.com/URGtakuKVA
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 2, 2020
Why are migrants being charged for these trains? Where are the thousands of crores in the PM named fund for which people have been forced to contribute? What is the money being used for? https://t.co/LWe3RyzGw9
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 2, 2020
Yet another problem for the stranded workers is that the Railways have committed to ferry only those who have been authorised to travel by the state governments. Most state governments had asked the migrants to register themselves at different online portals. However, registration can prove to be an ordeal for a majority of them who are digitally inexperienced. Many of them are also illiterate, and will be forced to take help from others, making the whole process complex.
Also read: As Poverty Spikes Due to Lockdown, A Separate Package for Urban Distress is Urgently Needed
The railways reiterated on Saturday night that it was ferrying only those authorised by state governments in special trains for people stranded during the lockdown, following reports of unauthorised travel and crowding at some stations.
Meanwhile, there were scenes of joy once the five trains that set off on Saturday reached their destination.
Scenes from Lucknow
A migrant worker Mulayam Singh Yadav was visibly glowing with cheer when he got off from the 02121 Shramik Special from Maharashtra’s Nashik that arrived at the platform number 1 of Lucknow railway station on Sunday. Health officials, policemen and news photographers waited for them.
Yadav’s group is the first batch to be brought home to the state by train. Thirty-two buses waited outside the station to take the labourers to their onward journey to different districts. Eager to reunite with his family in Janunpur’s Machlishahr, Yadav said, “It is a matter of barely a few hours.”
The ticket examiners were deployed on the platform to ensure that the arriving passengers adhere to the norms of social distancing. As the train made its halt, the enthusiastic passengers waved at policemen and health officials.
Migrants who were stranded in Maharashtra arrive at Charbagh railway station from Nashik by a special train, during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, in Lucknow, Sunday, May 03, 2020. Photo: PTI/ Nand Kumar
The passengers were allowed to leave the station premises only after their medical check-up was done. Thereafter, they were given food packets and boarded the UPSRTC buses that would take them to their respective districts.
Arun Chauhan, who worked as a driver is Nashik and hails from Azamgarh, was thankful for the arrangements made by the government to facilitate the return of migrant workers to their native places.
He, along with his friends Rajesh Kumar, Om Prakash and Neeraj Kumar, boarded the Azamgarh-bound bus and waved at the policemen and other officials as his onward journey to his home began.
Surya Jaikumar from Sonbhadra said, “We faced no problem of food and water during our journey. Now, I am looking forward to returning to my village.”
Also read: Railways Runs Its First Special Train for 1,200 Stranded Migrants
Mohammed Arif, who hails from Shamli, too was happy to return home.
“I worked as a welder. Once lockdown is lifted and travel permission is allowed, I may think of going back. However, till the time lockdown is in place, I will stay in my home,” he said.
Pramod, who worked as a daily wage labourer and hails from Maharajganj, was tying his jute bag and covering his face with a green-coloured towel as he was readying himself to board the bus for home.
Migrant workers from Kerala reach Odisha
The first ‘Shramik Special’ train to Odisha carrying around 1,150 migrant workers stranded in Kerala due to the lockdown arrived in Ganjam district on Sunday. The train had left Ernakulam railway station on Friday evening and arrived at Jagannathpur railway station in Ganjam district. It further proceeded to Khurda Road railway station, where it terminated.
The passengers were screened and given certification for the journey before boarding the train in Kerala, they said. The state government had organised buses to take the passengers to quarantine centres in their home districts.
The passengers who returned had already registered themselves with the state government’s portal, and, according to officials, they belonged to 23 of Odisha’s 30 districts. The highest number of those who returned are from Kandhamal district (382), followed by 283 from Kendrapara and 130 from Ganjam.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik thanked his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan for taking good care of the people stranded during the lockdown and cooperating with the Odisha government to ensure their safe return.