Raj govt will bear rail fare for migrant workers

The Rajasthan government will bear the cost of rail fares for migrant workers returning from the state to their homes in different parts of the country besides not charging any money to drop them by buses within the boundaries of the state.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday, while addressing a video conference with officials, said thestate government will bear the cost of return ofthe migrant workers who were stranded in Rajasthan due to the lockdown and want to go back to their homes in different states.

He said the state government will ensure that the workers stranded in this hour of crisis do not have to pay the travel fare themselves to go home. The state government will pay the rail fare, he said.

At the same time, the Rajasthan government will also make arrangements to transport those going by road to the border of Rajasthan without charging any fare, Gehlot said.

He directed officials to ensure compliance offresh guidelines issued by theUnion Ministry of Home Affairs for the inter-state transport of migrant workers.

The Chief Minister said to prevent infection, migrants and workers from other states would necessarily have to live in quarantine.

Gehlot directed that strict action should be taken against private hospitals which are not fulfilling their moral obligation of treating patients during the health crisis. District Collectors should take strict action against complaints against such private hospitals, he said.

The CM asked the officials to ensure strict compliance of Lockdown 3.0.

Deputy Chief Minister and Panchayati Raj Minister Sachin Pilot on the other hand demanded that the Centre bear the full fares of the migrant workers returning to their homes after staying away for 40 days under the lockdown.

He said when people from abroad can be brought to the country in chartered planes, then migrant workers can also be sent back to their homes without charging them for the fares.

Pilot also thanked Congress President Sonia Gandhi for taking the decision that the Congress party will bear the travel expenses of the migrant workers if the central government cannot.