New Delhi: Amidst a war of words over the movement of trains ferrying stranded workers to West Bengal, railway data shows that the state, which is a source of a sizeable number of migrant population, has so far accepted only two Shramik Special trains, though 302 of them have run so far.
According to the railways’ guidelines for these special trains ferrying migrants back to their native places during the coronavirus lockdown, both the states where the trains will be originating and terminating have to give their acceptance for running them.
Among the states like Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, which are considered the largest source of migrant population in the country, the Trinamool Congress-ruled state has the least number of migrant special trains coming in. Bihar has accepted 73 trains, 17 trains are still on their way there and 15 more trains have got the nod to be operated to the state.
However, the West Bengal government said on Saturday that it has accepted 10 more trains from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Rajasthan and Punjab after Home Minister Amit Shah shot off a letter accusing it of not allowing migrants to return.
Union Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday accused the West Bengal government of not allowing trains to ferry stranded migrants to their home, but the state refuted the charge, saying 6,000 migrants have already returned and 10 trains carrying more labourers will arrive soon.
In what is expected to escalate the ongoing Centre-state confrontation, Shah, in a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the state was not allowing trains with migrant workers reach the state and termed it as an “injustice” towards these workers.
Meanwhile, the railway officials rejected the claim by the state government. (PTI)
