Coronavirus lockdown: Those who left native places for regular jobs cannot avail special train facilities, says MHA

Only migrant labourers and not those in regular jobs staying at places other than their hometowns can avail the facility of special trains that are being run for transporting stranded people, including tourists, pilgrims and students, during COVID-19 lockdown.

The clarification from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) came through a letter from Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to states on Sunday.

The MHA had on May 1 allowed the movement of migrant labourers, pilgrims, tourists, students and others who are stranded at different places due to lockdown. Following this, Railways started 'Shramik (Workers) Special Trains' from various states to transport such people to their home states.

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"It is clarified that the MHA orders are meant to facilitate movement of such stranded persons, who had moved from their native places/workplaces, just before the lockdown period, but could not return to their native places/workplaces on account of restrictions places on movement of persons and vehicles as part of the lockdown measures," Bhalla wrote,

Bhalla said this facility is meant for "distressed persons" and does "not extend to those categories of persons, who are otherwise residing normally at places, other than the native places for purposes of work, etc and who wish to visit their native places in normal course".

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This would mean that those regular employees who have relocated to cities and towns from their native places are not eligible for travel in special trains and states should not entertain requests from such people.