Late in running trains |
May 20 2020 |
In the ongoing Corona crisis, by the time the government came out of its slumber, fifty days had passed since the lockdown came into effect, and lakhs of migrant labour had started on their way home travelling thousands of kilometers amid hunger and braving the tropical sun. A few reached their destination, several others were put in isolation and then there were those who became a victim of the road itself. According to an estimate there are eight crore migrant labours who had left their homes in search of job. The railway has decided to run three hundred trains and maintaining social distancing around 1200 labours are ferried in each train. An estimate says that the railways will have to run 66,666 trains to ferry these eight crore migrant labours and the time taken to complete this task is 182 days. The Railway claims that of the total expenditure incurred on running special trains for labours, it is realising only fifteen percent from states since these trains are only travelling one way with passengers while returning devoid of them. Keeping in mind social distancing the middle berth has been removed and the passengers are being provided with food and water for the journey. So the railway is incurring an expense of six to eight thousand rupee per person of which they are charging only fifteen percent. It should be noted that the Modi government has allotted total one thousand crore to the railways to take the migrant labor home and if sources are to be believed, the railways is chugging out fifty lakh rupee for each train journey. |
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