Maharashtra Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam arranged a special train from Pune to Lucknow for stranded migrant labourers on Sunday.
The Congress MLA said he took inspiration from Congress President Sonia Gandhi and arranged the train. He also said that the entire expenses of Rs 9 lakh was paid by him. Vishwajeet Kadam is an MLA from Sangli’s Palus-Kadegaon constituency.
Taking to Twitter, Vishwajeet Kadam wrote: "Taking inspiration from #Congress President Hon. #SoniaGandhi I arranged #Pune #Lucknow special train for stranded labourers. The entire expense of Rs 9 lakh was paid by me. Around 1200 passengers boarded for homebound journey."
Many hailed Kadam for his gesture, while some slammed him.
Here's what netizens had to say:
On Sunday, the Centre made an appeal to all states to permit the operation of special trains for stranded workers so that they can reach home safely. Last week, 16 migrants workers, who has fell asleep on railway track, lost their lives when a train ran over them. At least six migrant labourer were killed and 14 others injured when a truck in which they were travelling overturned in Madhya Pradesh's Narsinghpur district on Saturday night. Many migrants are facing hardships and even risking their lives to travel amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Despite the Centre allowing special trains for stranded migrants, the numbers are overwhelming and many of them are taking the unofficial route of private vehicles or trekking hundreds of kilometres. Some states have also been blamed for not facilitating the return of migrants by delaying permission for such trains.
