BJP flays Congress; states paying for migrants’ train journey barring Maharashtra

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, May 04,2020: A controversy erupted on Monday after Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi and several opposition parties demanded that migrant workers should not be charged for the train tickets. The Congress chief offered to pay for these workers while questioning Indian Railways that it can give a fund of Rs 151 crore to PM-CARES fund but not allowing poor people free travel facility, Zee reported.

 

The BJP, however, said the railways has been providing subsidised tickets bearing 85 percent of the travel costs, while the rest of 15 per cent cost will be borne by states.

The BJP spokesperson, Sambit Patra, took to social and tweeted, Rahul Gandhi ji, 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".

He further said, "And this is how the Congress-ruled State Governments can pay the 15% for the Migrant workers (85% being taken care of by the Railways) rather than politicising the otherwise smooth process taken up by the railways.

The non-BJP ruled states including Kerala, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have extracted fares from migrant workers, said Railways, while other states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana have provided free travel facility to the workers.

According to Indian Railways, it has asked the state governments to pay only 15% of the fare of the operating price and the same is being paid by each state. So far, many states paid this amount to Railways while others are in the process.