Coronavirus lockdown: Receiving states' consent not required to run Shramik special trains

The Ministry of Railways on Tuesday said the receiving states' consent is not required to run Shramik Special trains to transport stranded migrants.

Soon after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued new Standard Of Operatiom (SOP) on tranposting migrants in buses and trains, the railways said it only required list of passengers from sending states to operate trains.

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The order said railway ministry will permit Shramik Special trains in consultationwith the Home Ministry.

The national transporter will finalise the schedules and stoppages of these trains and will communicate to states and UTs for preparation to receive passengers, said an official in railways.

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Till now, the railways said it will run the trains only if both sending and receiving states give written approval. While sending states had to bring passengers to station, receiving states had to make arrangements for arriving passengers including their quarantine.

With latest decision of the railways, now the onus is on receiving states as they cannot criticise Centre or Railways for delay in ferrying migrant passengers.

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The Centre took decision to ferry migrants without approval of receiving states after it received criticism from Opposition political parties for not making arrangements to ferry stranded migrants.

Since May 1, the railway operated total 1565 Shramik special trains ferrying 20 lakh passengers. Uttar Pradesh received maximum (837) trains followed by Bihar (428) and Madhya Pradesh(100).