15K more leave Punjab on Shramik trains

Tribune News Service

Moga, May 12

As many as 13 Shramik special trains with 15,000 migrant workers were moved from various locations under the Ferozepur Railway Division on Tuesday. Divisional Railway Manager Rajesh Aggarwal said a total of 63 trains had moved out of Punjab in the past 10 days, carrying a total of 75,000 migrant workers to their home states.

On Tuesday, five trains moved from Jalandhar city for Gorakhpur, including two trains for Gonda and Betia and six from Ludhiana to Sitamadhi, Partapgarh, Rai Barelly, Hardoi, Unnav and Amethi. Two trains from Amritsar also went to Mau and Champa districts.

So far, 15 Shramik special trains went to Bihar, 41 Uttar Pradesh, four Jharkhand, two Madhya Pradesh and one Chattisgarh, the DRM said.

He claimed that the Railways had given 85 per cent subsidy on fare, while the state governments were making 15 per cent payment without charging anything from the migrant workers.

He said that only the registered passengers were allowed to board trains after identification by the state government and after proper medical fitness as per the instructions with regard to Covid-19 guidelines.