AAP MP asks Goyal to lodge FIRs against those responsible for diversion of migrant special trains

New Delhi: AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh has written to Railway minister Piyush Goyal, saying FIRs should be lodged against those responsible for the diversion of Shramik Special trains ferrying migrants stranded in different parts of the country amid the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

Singh asked Goyal to make proper arrangements of food and water for the migrants and said officials, who are responsible for delay in the trains, must be strictly punished.

"There were around 40 trains that lost their way.

How can such carelessness take place.

Who is responsible for these undue delays of trains that have even led to tragedies, including deaths," Singh said in the letter.

Singh said FIR must be lodged against those responsible for the diversion of trains.

"If you can make arrangements for people stranded abroad to return home safely then you can also ensure that arrangement is made for poor people stuck in different parts of the country to return to their hometowns safely," he said.

Amid complaints of lack of food and delays of these special trains on the social media, the railways on Tuesday said no trains are being diverted now and all trains which originated during the last three days are running on their "pre-scheduled rationalised routes".

The Indian Railways started Shramik Special trains to ferry back migrants stranded in different parts of the country.

It ferried over 44 lakh migrant workers on board 3,276 'Shramik Special' trains since May 1, according to official data.

The 'Shramik Special' trains are being operated primarily on the request of states, which want to send migrant workers stranded due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown to their native places.

The coronavirus-triggered lockdown has had a devastating impact on the economy as well as on the livelihoods of lakhs of migrant workers.