The Navi Mumbai police on Friday announced that they would stop accepting applications for Shramik special as most labourers have returned to their hometown. Currently, 5,188 labourers are on the list and they will be provided an alternative transport.
The decision to stop accepting new applications was due to several reasons, including no consent from some states and a lower turnout among other reasons.
Railway Board chairman VK Yadav, during a press conference on Friday, said the demand for the special trains have reduced in the past two days across the country.
“Yesterday (Thursday), 137 trains were operated while 172 trains operated the day before. Last week, the average was of 250 trains a day,” Yadav added.
Earlier this week, a group of 200 people travelling in a bus from Navi Mumbai was forced to return after Karnataka did not allow entry. The group had an approved pass from Navi Mumbai but Karnataka government did not allow them in.
Navi Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Kumar said, “We have sent most of the people home. Yesterday, two trains, including one for Uttar Pradesh departed. For small clusters of people going to different districts, we are in contact with other districts if trains are headed in their direction so they can be accommodated.”
{{/usCountry}}Navi Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Kumar said, “We have sent most of the people home. Yesterday, two trains, including one for Uttar Pradesh departed. For small clusters of people going to different districts, we are in contact with other districts if trains are headed in their direction so they can be accommodated.”
{{/usCountry}}Kumar added that since the regular outstation trains are starting in a phased manner, those who can afford to incur the expenses can opt to purchase the tickets.
Until now, close to 50 such special trains have departed from Navi Mumbai and Panvel transporting 63,209 labourers to different states, mainly from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
No migrant has been sent from Navi Mumbai to Goa, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Chandigarh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to lower number of people on the list.