Lok Sabha Question No. 519 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-16
Subject: Shramik Special Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Uttam Kumar Nalamada Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.519 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.09.2020

## SHRAMIK SPECIAL TRAINS

519. SHRI UTTAM KUMAR REDDY NALAMADA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details including origin, destination and the number of Shramik special trains that have run since the imposition of the lockdown;
- (b) whether over 80 people died on the Shramik special trains when they were on their way to their hometowns;
- (c) if so, the reasons therefor and the details of such deaths; and
- (d) the  steps  taken  by  the  Ministry  to  make  these  trains  safer  and prevent such occurrences in future?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  519  BY  SHRI  UTTAM  KUMAR  REDDY NALAMADA  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  16.09.2020 REGARDING SHRAMIK SPECIAL TRAINS

- (a)    To prevent the spread COVID-19 pandemic, Ministry of Railways discontinued all passenger services immediately after introduction of the national  lockdown.  Thereafter,  keeping  in  view  the  urgent requirement of movement of stranded persons Shramik specials were organized in a mission mode. These Shramik specials were organized  as  'trains  on  demand'  as  and  when  State  Governments requisitioned  these  trains  in  accordance  with  the  protocol  and guidelines issued by the Government.  In all, 4621 Shramik Special have been operated between 1 st   May, 2020 to 31 st  August, 2020, as detailed below:-

| 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                        |

(b)  to  (d)  Policing  on  Railways being  a State subject, prevention of crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of law  &  order  in  Railway  premises  as  well  as  running  trains  are  the statutory responsibility of the State Governments, which they discharge through Government Railway Police (GRP)/District Police. Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplement the efforts of GRP/District Police to provide better protection and security of passenger area & passengers and for related matters.   Based on the data provided by the State Police, 97 persons were reported to have passed away till 09.09.2020  while  travelling  on  board  Shramik  Special  Trains  during current Covid-19.  The State Police registers case under Section 174 of  Cr.  PC  in  cases  of  unnatural  deaths  and  follow  further  legal process.    Out  of  these  97  cases  of  death,  State  Police  sent  dead bodies  for  post  mortem  in  87  cases.  51  post  mortem  reports  have been received from respective State Police so far, in which reasons for  deaths  have  been  shown  as  cardiac  arrest/heart  disease/brain hemorrhage/pre-existing chronic disease/chronic lung disease/chronic liver disease etc.

In  compliance  of  order  of  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  and  as recommended  by  Committee  of  experts  constituted  at  All  India Institute  of  Medical  Sciences(AIIMS),  instructions  are  issued  to provide  Medical  Box  containing  life  saving  medicines,  equipments, oxygen cylinder etc. at all Railway stations and passenger carrying trains. Frontline staff i.e. Trains Ticket Examiner, Train Superintendents, Assistant Station Master etc. are trained in rendering First Aid services. Regular refresher courses are conducted  for  such  staff.    List  of  near-by  hospitals  and  doctors alongwith their control numbers is available at all Railway Stations. Ambulance services of Railways, State Government/Private Hospitals and ambulance service providers are utilized to transport the injured sick passengers to hospital/doctor's clinics.

*****