Rlys to run ‘Shramik Special’ trains
NEW DELHI, May 1:
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today allowed the use of trains for ferrying people stranded due to the nationwide lockdown to their respective States, an official said.
Addressing a press conference, Joint Secretary in the MHA Punya Salila Srivastava said stranded people such as migrant workers, tourists, pilgrims and students can now be transported using trains.
“States and the Railway Board will make the necessary arrangements for the same,” she said.
Underlining that some problems are cropping up in the movement of trucks and load carriers, Srivastava said the MHA has again written to the States, reiterating that no separate pass is needed for trucks and load carriers, including the empty vehicles.
Exercising the powers conferred under the Disaster Management Act, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places is allowed by special trains to be operated by the Ministry of Railways (MoR).
The MoR will designate nodal officers for coordinating with the states and Union territories for their movement, he added.
“The MoR will issue detailed guidelines for sale of tickets, and for social distancing and other safety measures to be observed at train stations, platforms and within the trains,” the home secretary said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Railways began running special “shramik” trains today to ferry migrant workers and others back home from various States where they were stranded since the nationwide lockdown began on March 25.
It has already run the first such train with 1,200 passengers from Hyderabad to Jharkhand at 4:50 am today.
The other five “Shramik Special” trains are — Nasik to Lucknow (9:30 pm), Aluva to Bhubaneswar (6 pm), Nasik to Bhopal (8 pm), Jaipur to Patna (10 pm) and Kota to Hatia (9 pm). “As per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, it has been decided to run ‘Shramik Special’ trains from ‘Labour Day’ today to move migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places due to the lockdown.
“These special trains will be run from point to point on the request of both the State Governments concerned as per the standard protocols for sending and receiving such stranded persons. The railways and State Governments shall appoint senior officials as nodal officers for coordination and a smooth operation of these ‘Shramik Specials’,” the national transporter said.
While the railways will issue separate guidelines for tickets, officials in Rajasthan’s Kota have issued instruction, saying students need to carry identity cards, seats will be allotted on a first-come-first-serve basis and a message from the district magistrate allowing travel will be considered as a valid ticket.
Each train is likely to carry around 1,000-1,200 passengers, keeping in mind the social-distancing protocol.
Students from all 24 districts of Jharkhand, who were stranded in Rajasthan, will be accommodated in two special trains leaving Kota and Jaipur around 9 pm on Friday.
The students have been asked to report from 6 pm onwards and a district-wise seating arrangement has been made with adequate social distancing.
According to the guidelines issued by the railways, the passengers of these trains will have to be screened at the boarding points by the States sending them and only those found asymptomatic of COVID-19 will be allowed to travel.
“Sending State Governments will have to bring these persons in batches that can be accommodated in the trains to the designated railway stations in sanitised buses, following social-distancing norms and other precautions. It will be mandatory for every passenger to wear a face cover. Meals and drinking water would be provided to the passengers by the sending States at the originating stations.
“Railways will endeavour to ensure social-distancing norms and hygiene with the cooperation of passengers. On longer routes, the railways will provide a meal during the journey,” the national transporter said.
On arrival at the destination, the passengers will be received by the State Government, which will make all arrangements for their screening, quarantine, if necessary, and further travel from the railway station, it added. (PTI)
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