Provide residual demand for Shramik trains for movement of migrants by June 10: Railways to states

The railways has written to the states asking them to provide a "comprehensive residual" demand for Shramik Special trains to ferry migrants to their homes by June 10, hours after the Supreme Court directed the Centre to complete the process in the next 15 days.

The railways has run more than 4,347 Shramik Special trains to transport approximately 60 lakh persons to their destination states since May 1.

In a letter to the chief secretaries of the states, Chairman Railway Board V K Yadav said the Supreme Court in its order has directed that in event of any additional demand -- in addition to the demand of 171 Shramik trains already projected by the states/UTs --  the Railways shall provide Shramik Special trains within a period of 24 hours of the request of states/UTs to facilitate the movement of migrant workers.

"In this context, you may please advise the comprehensive residual demand for Shramik Special Trains for the movement of stranded workers from your state/UT along with the number of travellers, originating station, destination station, schedule and dates by which the transportation shall be completed.

"The details may kindly be communicated through an official letter by June 10," he said in the letter issued on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and state governments to send all the migrant workers to their native places within 15 days and formulate employment schemes after conducting their skill mapping to rehabilitate them.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah also directed the Centre to provide additional trains within 24 hours of states making the demand for sending the migrant workers back to their native places.