Bengal to pay for return of migrants, says Mamata

Bengal to pay for return of migrants, says Mamata

CM shares official letter to Railways

17/05/2020, SHIV SAHAY SINGH, ,KOLKATA

Mamata Banerjee.File photo

The West Bengal government will bear the entire cost of movement of the State’s migrant workers by special trains to enable their return from other States, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday.

Ms. Banerjee shared on social media a letter from State Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to Railway Board Chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav, requesting that instructions be issued to railway officials that no costs should be claimed from those boarding the Shramik Special trains.

“Saluting the toil faced by our migrant brethren, I am pleased to announce the decision of GoWB to bear the entire cost of movement for our migrant workers.... No migrant will be charged. Letter to Rly Board attached,” Ms. Banerjee poster on Twitter.

The State government has announced that it will facilitate 105 trains between May 17 and June 15. State Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said that about 2.9 lakh people had sought help in the form of transport facilities to return to the State.

Earlier on Saturday, the State announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh to the families of migrant workers from Purulia who had lost their lives in U.P.’s Auraiya district.

17 lakh stranded

Mr. Bandyopadhyay said the government had prepared a database of about 17 lakh people from the State who were stranded across the country. He said this included workers, students, tourists and pilgrims.