Bihar govt to pay train fares of students returning home: Nitish Kumar

Madan Kumar | TNN | Updated: May 5, 2020, 06:41 IST

PATNA: CM Nitish Kumar on Monday said the state government was paying the fare of students returning from Kota in Rajasthan by special trains. “The students, who are coming back from Kota, do not have to pay any train fare. The state government is paying the fare to the railways,” Nitish categorically said.
In a bid to clarify the raging confusion as to who will pay the fare of those returning to Bihar by special trains amid the lockdown, Nitish said the migrant workers would be reimbursed the fare on completion of their 21-day period of quarantine at their respective centre at block level.
“Each migrant worker or other people returning from outside the state will be paid Rs500 along with reimbursement of train and other fares at their respective block quarantine centres. A minimum amount of Rs1,000 will be paid to each returnee on completion of the quarantine period,” Nitish said in a recorded video clip released by his office on Monday.
The CM said his government did not make any announcement about the fare of special trains earlier because “we believe in doing work and not making propaganda”.
Nitish also thanked the Centre for providing special trains on his government’s advice to facilitate transportation of stranded migrant workers, student and others from different parts of the country. He said the people arriving by special trains would first be screened at the railways station. “After screening, they would be taken to their respective block quarantine centre by special buses. All necessary arrangements for food, lodging and medical assistance have been made at each quarantine centre where they will have to stay for 21 days. I have asked the officials to also make arrangements of sufficient number of toilets and washrooms at these quarantine centres,” he said.
Recounting his government’s help to stranded natives of Bihar in other states, Nitish said Rs1,000 was being paid to each family stranded outside state. “Till date, we have transferred Rs1,000 each in the bank accounts of around 19 lakh people who applied to the Bihar government for the monetary assistance. The applications of few people are still under scrutiny. Money would be transferred in their bank accounts soon,” he said.