Don't play 'petty politics' over Shramik Special trains: Railway union to Sonia Gandhi
New Delhi: The All India Railwaymen's Federation on Thursday appealed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to refrain from indulging in "petty politics" over the fare of Shramik Special trains and said the Railways charged money to prevent overcrowding at stations.
In a letter to Gandhi, the Railways' largest union of workers said travelling during the coronavirus pandemic is dangerous but railway staffers are making it possible through their hard work.
"I request not to destabilise a good system which is enabling migrants to return home in 115 special trains because of petty momentary political gains," AIRF general secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra said in the letter to the Congress president.
Overcrowding at railway stations could lead to the spread of coronavirus, he said.
The Railways started running Shramik Special trains from May 1 to ferry home migrant labourers stranded away from their homes in different parts of the country.
Opposition parties have accused the government of charging money from the labourers for the train journey.
However, the government has said 85 per cent of the fare is being borne by the Railways and the remaining 15 per cent is borne by the state government on whose request a train is being run.
As of Wednesday, the Railways said it has ferried home over 1.35 lakh migrant workers in more than 140 Shramik Special trains.
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Bengaluru: KAS officer, driver caught in Rs 30 lakh bribe case
Bengaluru: Lokayukta police have arrested a KAS officer and his driver for allegedly demanding and accepting a Rs 30 lakh bribe to pass a favourable order in a pending RRT case.
The accused have been identified as Nagaprashanth (KAS), serving as Special Assistant Commissioner (North) and Special Land Acquisition Officer-1, KIADB, and Kumar, a driver associated with his office, Deccan Herald reported.
Based on a complaint by Ravi Kumar, a resident of Attur in Yelahanka, Lokayukta team laid a trap.
According to investigators, the accused had demanded Rs 30 lakh, of which Rs 15 lakh was allegedly collected earlier by the driver on the officer’s instructions.
On Wednesday, the driver was caught red-handed while accepting the remaining Rs 15 lakh, leading to the arrest of both him and the officer.
Both accused have been taken into custody, and further investigation is underway.
