Thread by @_YogendraYadav

Here is a story of moral cussedness, political apathy and spin doctoring.
Migrant workers are made to pay for their evacuation.
Govt passes the buck to state governments.
Ruling party uses spins & fakes to wriggle out.
This thread exposes the truth.
1/n
#FreeTrains4Workers

Let's cut through the clutter and focus on three simple questions:
1. Who is eligible to use Shramik express trains?
2. How much fare does the railway charge?
3. Who pays this fare?
BJP spin doctors have tried to bluff their way through on all these.

Q1. Who is eligible?
Impression: Every migrant worker can use these to go back to native place.
Truth: Only persons temporarily stranded. Workers can't use it to go from workplace back to native place. Shramik trains are not for migrant workers!
See this MHA letter
3/n

Q2. How much is the fare?

Impression: Centre has offered 85% concession on normal fares.

Truth: Railway is charging exactly its normal fare for sleeper class, plus Rs 50 (Rs 30 Superfast surcharge, Rs 20 for food)

This letter from Railway Board spells it out.
4/n

Take, for example, this ticket tweeted by @sambitswaraj
It's Vasai Road (Mumbai) to Gorakhpur, 1806 km
Normally, SL class ticket costs around Rs 690 or less
For Shramik Express, Railway is charging Rs 740 (690+50)
So, Railway is charging MORE, not less, than normal fare.
5/n

Q3. Who pays? How?

Impression: Workers don't have to pay anything.

Truth: Workers have paid. Several news reports, including this one from Ahmedabad, confirm this. Those workers who could not pay, had to miss the train in Bhiwandi, as reported here.
6/n