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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Naxalite carrying Rs 5 lakh bounty killed in encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh
Dantewada (PTI): A Naxalite carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, police said on Thursday.
The gunfight took place on Wednesday night in forested hills under the Geedam police station area when a joint team of the District Reserve Guard and Bastar Fighters, both units of the state police, was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said.
Police received inputs on March 3 that Naxalites were reportedly concealing weapons and other materials in the forested hill region between Gumalnar, Girsapara and Nelgoda villages in the Geedam area bordering Bijapur district. Based on the tip, the operation was launched, he said.
ALSO READ: Flight services between Kolkata, Dubai resume partially
When the patrolling team was cordoning off the forest hills, 8-10 Naxalites belonging to the Bhairamgarh Area Committee of the Maoist organisation began firing indiscriminately from their automatic weapons, triggering an exchange, he said.
Taking advantage of the dense forest, hilly terrain and darkness, most Naxalites managed to flee from the spot. During a search of the encounter site, the body of one Naxalite, along with arms and ammunition, was recovered, the official said.
The neutralised Naxalite was identified as Rajesh Punem, a resident of Burji village under Gangaloor police station limits in Bijapur district, Rai said. Punem carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh.
The recovered materials include a self-loading rifle, an INSAS rifle, a pistol with a magazine, a walkie-talkie set, several magazines and live cartridges of SLR, INSAS and pistol, along with empty shells, he said.
A search operation in the area is underway, police said.
With this action, at least 26 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year.
On January 3, according to officials, 14 Maoists were gunned down in two encounters in the Bastar region, which comprises seven districts, including Dantewada.
Last year, 285 rebels were killed in encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh.
The Centre has set a deadline of March 31 this year to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism from the country.
