Telangana spent Rs 6 crore on train fare of migrants: Vinod Kumar

HYDERABAD:  State Planning Board vice-chairman B Vinod Kumar said that the State government had spent `6 crore towards the train fare of migrant workers. In a statement on Tuesday, Vinod Kumar said that 85,273 migrant workers were transported to their native states by 63 special trains.

He, however, blamed the Ministry of Railways for not considering the problems of migrant workers on humanitarian grounds. The Central government’s behaviour towards the migrant workers was irresponsible, he alleged. 

He also disputed the Central government’s statement that the Centre had borne 85 per cent of the travel cost of the migrant workers. “As the Railways are implementing social distancing in trains, only 54 passengers were allowed on each bogie as against the full capacity. But the Centre is claiming that it gave concession to the other 18 passengers too,” Vinod Kumar said. 

The Railway Minister, Finance Minister and other Union Ministers were basically lying through their teeth on the matter of the special trains, he alleged. The Railways had collected regular fare from the migrant workers and did not give them any concession, he said.