Workers returning to Bihar will not have to pay for train tickets, says CM Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday (May 4) thanked the Centre for considering the suggestion to run special trains to send the people of Bihar who are stranded in other states due to coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown back to Bihar.

The Bihar chief minister assured that the workers who are returning to the state will not have to pay for there train tickets and quarantine centre has been set up in the state for these workers.

CM Kumar said that all these workers will stay at quarantine centre for 21 days and they will be given a minimum amount of Rs 1000 each by the state government after the completion of quarantine period. He added that Rs 1000 has been already given to 19 lakh people by the state government under this scheme.

Talking about the return of stranded students from Rajasthan's Kota, CM Kumar said that the state government is spending its own money to bring these students back and no student has been asked to pay any moeny. 

Earlier on Monday (May 4), Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi slammed the Centre for charging train fare from thousands of migrant workers who are returning home due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Sonia said in a statement that workers and labourers are the ambassadors of India's growth and why they can't be extended " a fraction of the same courtesy" as the ones who were brought back from abroad. 

"Our workers and labourers form the backbone of our economy. Their hard work and sacrifice are the foundation of our nation. As the Central Government barely gave a four-hour notice of the lockdown, workers and migrant labourers were denied the opportunity to return to their homes," she said in a statement.