After Mamata says 105 special Shramik trains to bring migrant workers back to Bengal, Goyal Counters

“Regarding our commitment to help all of our people trapped in different parts of the country and wishing to return to Bengal, I am pleased to announce that we have arranged an additional 105 special trains. In the coming days, these special trains will be shipped from different States to various destinations in Bengal bringing our people back home, “Banerjee tweeted on Thursday morning.

In the evening, Goyal said that the West Bengal government was not providing facilities for migrants to return home and that it has only allowed seven ‘Shramik Special’ trains.

Despite his call on the state government to allow more ‘Shramik Special’ trains, there has been no response from him, he added.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal responded and accused Goyal of being absent during this monumental crisis.

Previously, the government had approved 10 trains to facilitate the return of stranded workers, patients, tourists, and students in other states due to the closure. Three of these 10 trains have reached the state so far.

In his tweet, Banerjee shared a list of 105 trains that would depart from Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka and Rajasthan, among others, in the coming weeks.

The list suggested that three trains would start their journey from New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore Urban on May 16 and arrive in New Coochbehar, Howrah, and Malda Town, respectively, the next day.

The government’s initiative to transport stranded people home on trains would continue until June 14.

Later, in a series of tweets, Goyal said: “After my statement yesterday, the West Bengal government has woken up from its deep sleep. The government has allowed only seven trains for migrant workers … Bengal workers They are far from their homes, so he had asked to be allowed to run more trains. ”

West Bengal needs to run 105 ‘Shramik Special’ trains daily to bring stranded immigrants home, but “there is unconfirmed news that over the next 30 days they have drawn up a list of just 105 trains,” he said.

“It is a cruel joke with West Bengal migrant workers that the government there is not giving them a chance to go home,” Goyal said.

The railway minister said: “So far the West Bengal government has not allowed eight trains to run, according to its announcement last week.”

“This is a small attempt to deceive migrant workers from West Bengal, and the government is fleeing its responsibility to bring poor workers home. Uttar Pradesh cleared 400 trains in less than 15 days and brought their migrant workers to Instead of showing this kind of alacrity, the West Bengal government is preventing workers from getting assistance, “he said.

Goyal urged the West Bengal government to think about the interests of workers who have to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state should allow the Railways to run more special trains as soon as possible to bring stranded migrants home, he said.

The railway minister’s statement did not coincide with the TMC, which called it “cheap politics and an attempt to gain political points at the time of the crisis.”

“The minister was absent during this monumental crisis when millions of poor migrant workers were abandoned. They were left to fend for themselves, trapped across the country waiting for government help to return safely to their homes and families,” said the TMC party leader Rajya Sabha, Derek O ‘Brien.

However, the leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, welcomed the measure by the state government and said that it should have taken the measures several days earlier.

Last week, Union Interior Minister Amit Shah had raised the issue of the West Bengal government’s non-cooperation to bring back stranded workers.

The Center had also accused the state government of its handling of the COVID crisis in the state.