Lockdown 3.0 Guidelines: How to catch a Shramik Special Train

NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways has started Shramik Special Trains to move migrant workers, students, tourists, pilgrims and others stranded in different places due to COVID-19 lockdown.

On April 29, ministry of home affairs (MHA) had issued orders allowing movement of these groups, stuck since March 25 when a nationwide lockdown was imposed to curb the coronavirus spread.

“These special trains will be run from point to point on the request of both the concerned state governments as per the standard protocols for sending and receiving such stranded persons,” said an official statement.

The first Shramik (worker) special train carrying 1,225 workers, travelled from Telangana to Jharkhand on May 1.

. @RailMinIndia starts #ShramikSpecial Trains to move migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places due to #lockdown #IndiaFightsCorona

Read here: https://t.co/vFiCZMaJoZ https://t.co/THDyRLCKbK pic.twitter.com/ZFZB4OudAZ

— PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 2, 2020

About 350 migrant workers were similarly transported from Nashik, Maharashtra, to Madhya Pradesh on May 2.

Six Shramik Special Trains, carrying stranded migrants, students and others departed from Kerala, Telangana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan on May 1,” NDTV reported.

“The trains, bound for Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were organised on request from the respective states,” Railways said in a statement to the media.

More such trains will run in future as per states’ request.

This is how the process works.

How can you register?

A few states have launched online registration systems, portals and helplines to facilitate the registration of stranded students, workers and others to aid in their movement between states.

The person wanting to travel to another state has to fill in personal details, location details and contact details of a local person in these online registration systems.

For example, Uttarakhand has an online “migrant traveller registration” system wherein whoever wants to return to Uttarakhand is required to register by filling up the online form. This form asks for personal details, address in Uttarakhand, details of present location and contact details of person in Uttarakhand.

Rajasthan has launched an “e-mitra app” and a helpline for any assistance that the stranded people may seek. Rajasthan’s workers and students stuck in other states need to register on the e-mitra app or e-mitra kiosk and fill in their personal and location details.

Similarly, Karnataka is registering travellers on its Seva Sindhu portal, Odisha has launched “Odisha Covid-19 portal for traveller registration” and Punjab has “Covidhelp” portal for registration of people who want to come back to Punjab.

Shramik Special Trains

The trains started running on May 1, bearing mostly migrant workers.

The Railways and state governments are appointing nodal officers to coordinate the movement of people between states.

The passengers will be screened by the sending states and only those who don't present any symptoms of COVID-19 will be allowed to travel.

According to the Press Information Bureau, those moving will be brought to the railway stations in batches. The buses that will transport them to the railway station will be sanitized before and after use. All norms of social distancing and other precautions will be followed in seating arrangements on both buses and trains. Passengers have to wear a face mask compulsorily.

The Railways have clarified that each train will carry around 1,200 passengers to ensure social distancing during journey.

The sending state governments must ensure that the passengers are provided meals and drinking water at the originating station. “On longer routes, the Railways will provide the passengers with meals en route during the journey,” PIB said.

On arrival at the destination, the passengers will be received by the state government and undergo screening and quarantine, if necessary. The receiving state government will make all arrangements for their screening, quarantine and further travel from the railway station.

Road to train

The lockdown had imposed a mandatory nationwide curfew, except for essential services, and prevented people from moving outside their residential areas and between districts or states. The MHA has now permitted the movement of these people pertaining to certain conditions.

Initially, the government had allowed travel only by road, but states pointed out challenges in transporting lakhs of people across hundreds of kilometres in buses. The Central Government then consented to states’ request and allowed "special" trains to move stranded people across the states, albeit with strict rules to be followed regarding social distancing, disinfection and screening.

Also read:

• PM holds a meeting to review education sector
• Students' webinar with education minister postponed to May 5

Write to us at news@careers360.com