New Delhi, (thestates.news) The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday asked the Railway Ministry to
operate special trains to ferry people stranded due to the nationwide lockdown
to their native places.
In an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs to all Chief Secretaries of
states and Administrators of Union Territories (UTs), the Union Home Secretary
Ajay Bhalla, referring to sub-clause under Clause of 17 of the consolidated
guidelines, said, ‘Migrants workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other
persons stranded at various places, is also allowed by special trains to be
operated by the Ministry of Railway.”
The Railway Ministry will designate nodal officer(s) for coordination with
states and UTs for their movement and Ministry 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 in the trains” the MHA
communication further said.
The Home Ministry letter also stated the rest of the conditions stipulated for
movement of persons as per the sub- clauses of the revised and consolidated
guidelines issued on April 15 will apply to such movements.
The Centre move comes in followed serious logistic challenges being posed in
transporting over 15 lakh people, including migrant labourers, students and
others via buses.
Earlier the day, a meeting held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, had discussed the issue with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah
and Railway Minister Piyush Goel to decide on running special trains and to
broad plan for their operation.
Notably, several state governments, including Bihar, Punjab and Telangana, had
asked the Centre to operate special trains as ‘bus journey’ as allowed by the
Home Ministry, is time taking and hence is suitable only for shorter distance.
One-off special train with only general sleeper coaches from Lingampalli
(Hyderabad) to Hatia in Jharkhand was chugged off at 0450 hrs on Friday on
request of the Telangana Government as per the directions of Ministry of
Railways.
All necessary precautions such prior screening of passengers, maintaining
social distancing at station and in the train has been followed.
On April 29, the MHA had issued guidelines on inter-state transport of migrant
workers and students. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra
Pradesh governments have already started running buses from various states.(uni)
Indian Railway to run special trains to ferry stranded migrants: MHA
