Lok Sabha Question No. 481 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-16
Subject: Booking in Shramik Special Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Adoor Prakash, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Shobha Karandlaje, DNV Senthilkumar. S., Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Manickam Tagore B, Basanta Kumar Panda, Supriya Sadanand Sule

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.481

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.09.2020

## BOOKING IN SHRAMIK SPECIAL TRAINS

## 481.  ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH:

SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA:

DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE:

DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR S.:

DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE:

SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B.:

SHRI BASANTA KUMAR PANDA:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

## Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number  of  Shramik  Special  train run by Railways  to repatriate  migrants  labourers  to  their  native  places  along  with  the number of migrant workers who have been repatriated to their native places, State-wise;
- (b) whether many of the migrant workers could not get booking in Shramik Special trains forcing them to travel on foot and other mean and if so, the details thereof and reasons therefor;
- (c) the facilities provided by the Railways to the migrants workers during the journey;
- (d) whether  any  amount  is  charged  from  migrant  workers  for travelling in these trains and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  most  of  these trains took longer time than the prescribed time to reach the designated places putting the migrant labourers under lot of difficulties and if so, the details thereof and reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  481  BY  ADV.  ADOOR  PRAKASH,  SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA, DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE, KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE,  DR.  DNV  SENTHIL  KUMAR  S.,  DR.  SUBHASH  RAMRAO BHAMRE, SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B., SHRI BASANTA KUMAR PANDA, SHRIMATI  SUPRIYA  SULE  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 16.09.2020 REGARDING BOOKING IN SHRAMIK SPECIAL TRAINS

(a) From 01.05.2020, in all, 4621 Shramik Special trains were operated for  the  movement  of  stranded  persons  and  migrants  and  63.19  lakh passengers  were  transported  to  their  respective  States.    The  Statewise data of train services is as under:-

| OUTGOING TRAINS FROM STATES   | OUTGOING TRAINS FROM STATES   |
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| State                         | Number of trains              |
| Gujarat                       | 1033                          |
| Maharashtra                   | 817                           |
| Punjab                        | 429                           |
| Bihar                         | 294                           |
| Uttar Pradesh                 | 376                           |
| Delhi                         | 259                           |
| Tamil Nadu                    | 292                           |
| Karnataka                     | 295                           |
| Telangana                     | 166                           |
| Rajasthan                     | 131                           |
| Kerala                        | 190                           |
| Haryana                       | 101                           |
| Andhra Pradesh                | 69                            |
| Other States                  | 169                           |
| Total                         | 4621                          |
| INCOMING TRAINS TO STATES     | INCOMING TRAINS TO STATES     |
| State                         | Number of trains              |
| Uttar Pradesh                 | 1726                          |
| Bihar                         | 1627                          |
| Jharkhand                     | 222                           |

| Odisha         |   244 |
|----------------|-------|
| West Bengal    |   284 |
| Madhya Pradesh |   129 |
| Chhattisgarh   |    95 |
| Assam          |   103 |
| Rajasthan      |    55 |
| Manipur        |    22 |
| Other States   |   114 |
| Total          |  4621 |

There  are  no  pending  requests  from  any  States  for  Sharmik  Special Trains. (b) No, Sir. Immediately after the Government decided to operate trains for  migrant  workers,  the  Shramik  specials  were  organised  in  mission mode w.e.f. 01.05.2020. The Shramik specials were organized as 'trains on demand' as and when State Governments requisitioned these trains, in accordance with the protocol and guidelines given by the Government.    All  the  demands  placed  by  sending  states  were  met promptly  and  no  State  which  requested  for  running  of  any  number  of Shramik Special trains was refused.  The list of stranded persons was decided  by  the  States  concerned  and  Railways  provided  the  trains service  in  a  prompt  manner.    Railways  did  not  do  any  bookings  for Stranded persons/migrant workers directly on its own. (c)  Indian Railways have supplied a total number of 1.96 cr meals and 2.19 cr packaged Drinking Water bottles to the passengers of Shramik Special Trains during the journey.  Further, an estimated number of 46.2 lakh  meals  and  Water  Bottles  each  have  been  provided  by  the  State Governments  to  them  at  the  time  of  commencement  of  the  Special Trains. (d)  Shramik special trains were requisitioned by State Governments. In normal circumstances such special trains are booked by state

Governments/any agency or by an individual on Full Tariff Rates which include normal fare for both directions, service charge, empty haulage charge,  detention  charge  etc.  Indian  Railways  allowed  booking  of Shramik Special on normal fare for one direction only.  Further, special arrangements  like  enhanced  sanitization,  special  security,  medical arrangement,  rake  sanitization,  free  meals,  water  etc.,  added  to  the overall  cost  of  running  of  these  trains.    Due  to  above  arrangements Railways  could  recover  a  small  fraction  of  expenditure  incurred  on Shramik Special trains. (e)    Shramik  specials  were  operated  as  'trains  on  demand'  and  were run as per the requirements of the   State Governments.  Most of the around  4600  trains  ran  as  scheduled  trains  on  average  speeds  of Express  trains  either  on  time  or  with  small  delays.  As  most  of  the Shramik  specials  were  run  towards  Eastern  part  of  the  country  on specific  routes  only  to  ease  congestion    on  these  routes,  very  few trains  were  routed    through  alternate  non-congested  routes  between 20 th   and  24 th   May,  2020  during  the  peak  phase  of  Shramik  special operations.

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