Subrat Kumar Sarangi
Bhubaneswar (NVI): The East Coast Railway (ECoR) said it has handled more than 636 Shramik Special trains from its jurisdiction since first week of May.
As per the directives of Supreme Court, bringing migrants back to their homes by Shramik Special trains was to be completed by June 24.
In ECoR, this is almost completed well within time frame. ECoR has also fulfilled all the demands from the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for outward Shramik Special trains.
In a statement, the ECoR said it has handled more than 636 Shramik Special trains from its jurisdiction from the first week of May. Out of these, ECoR has received about 250 Shramik Special Trains in its jurisdiction.
A total of 14 trains were sent from ECoR jurisdiction towards different places including one from Sambalpur, two from Bhubaneswar and rest from Visakhapatnam.
Meanwhile, inward trains to Odisha have been received from Gujarat, Maharastra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. More than 372 Shramik trains also passed safely through ECoR jurisdictions which were provided meals, water and other services at different stations, it said.
More than 12 lakh free meals and drinking water bottles were served in the Shramik Special Trains by ECoR with the help of IRCTC.
Operation of Shramik Special trains was started from May 1 to bring back migrant workers, tourists, students etc to their homes during lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. Shramik Special trains were provided as and when demand was raised by state governments.
Railways has assured all the state governments that Shramik Special trains shall be provided as and when demand is placed by them, it added.
-RJV
