New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tore into the centre for charging migrants who are trying to return to their home villages amid COVID-19 lockdown. He slammed the BJP government over the reports of the Indian Railways charging for tickets at the same time contributing Rs 151 crore in the PM-CARE fund and asked the government to 'solve the puzzle'.
-
एक तरफ रेलवे दूसरे राज्यों में फँसे मजदूरों से टिकट का भाड़ा वसूल रही है वहीं दूसरी तरफ रेल मंत्रालय पीएम केयर फंड में 151 करोड़ रुपए का चंदा दे रहा है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 4, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
जरा ये गुत्थी सुलझाइए! pic.twitter.com/qaN0k5NwpG
">एक तरफ रेलवे दूसरे राज्यों में फँसे मजदूरों से टिकट का भाड़ा वसूल रही है वहीं दूसरी तरफ रेल मंत्रालय पीएम केयर फंड में 151 करोड़ रुपए का चंदा दे रहा है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 4, 2020
जरा ये गुत्थी सुलझाइए! pic.twitter.com/qaN0k5NwpGएक तरफ रेलवे दूसरे राज्यों में फँसे मजदूरों से टिकट का भाड़ा वसूल रही है वहीं दूसरी तरफ रेल मंत्रालय पीएम केयर फंड में 151 करोड़ रुपए का चंदा दे रहा है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 4, 2020
जरा ये गुत्थी सुलझाइए! pic.twitter.com/qaN0k5NwpG
The Gandhi scion said that railways is charging migrants for rail tickets at the same time donating money in the PM-CARES fund.
Read: Cong to bear cost of rail travel of every needy migrant worker: Sonia Gandhi
"On one hand, Railways is charging ticket fare while on the other Ministry of Railways is donating Rs. 151 crore to the PM-CARES," Rahul Gandhi said.
The Congress had earlier said its state units will bear the cost of rail travel of needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown and seeking to return home.
The railways has decided to run the Shramik Special trains to transport the students, labourers, pilgrims and tourists across the country. The first Shramik Special train with 1,200 passengers started on May 1 from Telangana to Jharkhand almost 40 days after the passenger, mail and express trains services were suspended.
Since then railways has operated over 25 such trains on the request of the state governments. The railways has earlier said that it was charging the state governments for the Shramik special train tickets.
It is to be noted that stranded Indians abroad in the initial stages of the pandemic were brought back by the Ministry of External Affairs, free of cost, with government arranging for health checkups and transport and paying for it.
(With inputs from ANI)
