Coronavirus: ‘Open road, air transport to begin economic activity,’ P Chidambaram tells Centre
The Congress leader welcomed the government’s decision to gradually restart passenger trains.
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday welcomed the Centre’s decision to gradually resume passenger trains, suspended since the nationwide lockdown was first imposed in March. He added that road transport and air travel must also restart in a similar way.
“We welcome the decision of the government to cautiously start operation of inter state passenger trains,” he wrote on Twitter. “The same modest opening should be started with road transport and air transport. The only way economic and commercial activity can effectively begin, is to open road, rail and air services for passengers and goods,” he added.
Last week, Chidambaram had hit out at the Centre over its delay in providing buses and trains to transport migrant workers home. He had said that the government’s plan was “poorly designed, planned, coordinated and implemented.”
We welcome the decision of the government to cautiously start operations of inter state passenger trains.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 11, 2020
The same modest opening should be started with road transport and air transport.
The Centre had announced on Sunday that the Railways would gradually restart train services for passengers from May 12, with 15 pairs of trains initially connecting New Delhi with other cities in India. The government had added that all passengers will have to wear face masks and will be screened for the coronavirus. Only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the trains.
On Monday, the Ministry of Railways revised the guidelines for the “Shramik Special” trains that ferry migrant workers from various states during the nationwide lockdown. These trains will now run at their full capacity of around 1,700 passengers and are allowed to stop at three places.
In an interview to Outlook last week, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said that the government was planning to start domestic flight operations even before May 15. “My effort will be to try and move in the direction of starting it very soon,” he had told the magazine. “I can’t put a date on it because when you are planning evacuation operations, you need the co-operation of the state governments.”
The number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 67,152 on Monday morning and the toll climbed to 2,206. The nationwide lockdown was extended till May 17.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold his fifth meeting with chief ministers of all states on Monday, to review the coronavirus situation in the country.
Follow today’s updates on the coronavirus pandemic here