WB govt to bear full cost of migrants returning home by trains

The West Bengal government will bear the entire cost of movement of migrant labourers from the state who are stranded in various parts of the country and are returning home by special trains, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Saturday.

No migrant labourer will be charged, she said.

"Saluting the toil faced by our migrant breathen, I am pleased to announce the decision of GoWB to bear the entire cost of movement for our migrant workers by special trains from other states to West Bengal. No migrant will be charged," Banerjee tweeted.

A communication in this regard was sent to Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav by state Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, she said.

Banerjee said on Thursday that her government made arrangements for 105 more trains to bring back people stuck in different parts of the country amid claims by opposition parties that the state was not eager to ferry home stranded labourers and pilgrims.

Of these 105 trains, three will commence their journey from New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore Urban on Saturday.

The state government's exercise to ferry home people stranded during the lockdown in trains will continue till June 14.

Earlier, the government had given its nod for 10 trains to facilitate the return of people stranded in other states during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. Three of the 10 trains have reached the state so far.