Govt submission in Supreme Court shows it paid no migrant rail fare: Congress

New Delhi: Congress said the Centre’s claim of bearing 85% of the cost of tickets of migrant workers travelling on Shramik trains was belied by the solicitor general’s submission before the Supreme Court that “100% cost of the tickets” of migrant workers on these trans was paid by the “sending states or the receiving states”.

“This solemn statement made by the solicitor general before the apex court makes it clear all the earlier claims by various central ministers, including the railways minister, and various BJP spokespersons were wrong,” AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told media persons on Wednesday. “The Centre has been distorting the fact by claiming the Centre was bearing 85% of the cost of the tickets of the migrant workers.”

“With these kind of clear contradictions, how is it possible that the railways minister will not resign or be removed. One of the two must happen,” Singhvi said, targeting Piyush Goyal.


Singhvi said the court hearing had further proved false the earlier claims by the railways of providing free food and water to migrant workers. “These workers have been charged ₹30 as superfast train surcharge and ₹20 for food… So much so that the CS (chief secretary) has to instruct the railways to provide them free food and water.”

Questioning the efficiency of the railways and its minister, Singhvi said 40% of 3,740 special trains were running late by eight hours and many others by 15-48 hours.