The BJP said on Monday the
railways has subsidised 85 per cent of ticket fare for special trains being run
to transport migrant workers and the state government has to pay the remaining
15 per cent, soon after the Congress attacked the central government over the
issue.
The state government
concerned can also pay for the tickets, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said. He
said the Madhya Pradesh government is doing so and asked Rahul Gandhi to tell
the Congress-ruled states to follow suit.
He was responding to
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on the railways for charging poor migrant
labourers ticket fare, even as it donated over Rs 151 crore to the PM-CARES
Fund.
"Rahul Gandhiji, I
have attached guidelines of MHA which clearly states that 'No tickets to be
sold at any station'. Railways has subsidised 85% & state govt to pay 15%.
The state govt can pay for the tickets (Madhya Pradesh's BJP govt is paying).
Ask Cong state govts to follow suit," Patra tweeted.
The BJP leader further
clarified that for each 'Shramik Express', special trains being run for
migrants, about 1,200 tickets to the destination are handed by the railways to
the state government concerned.
State governments are
supposed to clear the ticket price and hand over the tickets to workers, he
said.
Seeking to corner the
central government, the Congress on Monday said its state units will bear the
cost of rail travel of needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their
workplaces due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Congress president Sonia
Gandhi in a statement announced the party's decision and said this would be the
Congress' humble contribution in standing shoulder to shoulder with these
workers.
In a tweet, BJP MP
Subramanian Swamy claimed that migrant workers returning home will not have to
pay money as the rail travel will be free from now onwards. Swamy, in a tweet,
said, "Talked to Piyush Goel office. Govt will pay 85% and State Govt 15%.
Migrant labour will go free. Ministry will clarify with an official
statement." -- PTI
Image: Migrants board a
special train in Surat on Sunday. Pic: ANI
Tags
Economy