Ludhiana: Migrants stranded ahead of Chhath Puja as train services yet to resume in Punjab - Hindustan Times
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Ludhiana: Migrants stranded ahead of Chhath Puja as train services yet to resume in Punjab

Hindustan Times, Ludhiana | ByHT Correspondent, Ludhiana
Nov 16, 2020 10:42 PM IST

Interstate bus service are operational, but labourers are not opting for it due to high cost

Labourers from states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh who planned to go back to their native places to celebrate Chhath Puja are in a fix as train service in the state have not resumed yet due to ongoing farmers’ protest against the agriculture bills.

The railways have already cancelled 23 festival special trains in Punjab.(Representative image/HT)
The railways have already cancelled 23 festival special trains in Punjab.(Representative image/HT)

Labourers’ unions have appealed to railway officials to restart the service so they can return to their homes to celebrate with their families.

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With three days left for Chhath Puja, there is almost no chance of train services resuming in time. The railways have already cancelled 23 festival special trains in Punjab.

Manoj Gupta, a resident of Bihar’s Begusarai, said due to trains not plying in the state, he could not go back to vote. But, he was hopeful that the service would resume as talks between farmers and the government were on, but to no avail.

He also appealed to the government and farmers’ unions to resolve the matter at the earliest so that the people do not suffer anymore.

Interstate bus service are operational, but labourers are not opting for it due to high cost. Another labourer, Pankaj Yadav, said that a bus ticket to Bihar will cost between Rs 3,000 to 4,000. As he lives in Ludhiana with his wife and three children, he has to shell out at least Rs 15,000 to reach Bihar, while a train ticket costs between Rs 600 to Rs 700 per person.

The protest is also causing loss of revenue for railways. Over three lakh labourers from industrial cities return to their native places every year on Chhath Puja.

RK Yadav, general secretary of Samajwadi Party, Punjab, said the festival is celebrated every year in Bihar and some parts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Labourers used to go to their native places to perform Pooja every year, but they are forced to stay back in the city this time.

According to a spokesperson of the railways, 23 festival special trains have been cancelled due to the ongoing farmers’ protest in Punjab. Also, 18 special trains have been cancelled temporarily . Routes of two trains have also been changed.

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