BJP MP Swapan Dasgupta on Monday has written to Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal to resume suburban train services in West Bengal at the earliest. The letter came days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requested the same from the Centre.
The letter said the suspension of train services had created hardship for those who need to commute daily to earn their livelihood. “Since the lockdown in March, local train services in West Bengal, especially the suburban trains that link the districts to Kolkata, have been suspended. Predictable, a prolonged suspension has caused enormous hardships to people who need to commute on a daily basis for their livelihood. They are now dependent on overcrowded buses, many of which charge exorbitant fares.”
I have today sent a letter to @PiyushGoyalOffc requesting him to restore local & suburban train services in WBengal. This is urgently needed so that people can go about their livelihood without the difficulties they are at present encountering. I am hopeful he will oblige pic.twitter.com/OHV0cHUgyI— Swapan Dasgupta (@swapan55) October 12, 2020
Citing the likely resumption of local train services in Mumbai, he urged Goyal to give similar approvals for Bengal ahead of Durga Puja festival. “I understand that suburban train services in Mumbai are likely to be fully restored by October 15, 2020. That is reason enough for services in and around Kolkata to be made operational before the Durga Puja festival later this month,” the letter read.
“I earnestly request you to please take steps so that suburban train services in West Bengal can be fully restored as soon as possible. Of course, all necessary health precautions, including the mandatory wearing of masks and social distancing, should be put in force. I hope you will meet this pressing demand from the people of West Bengal,” excerpts of his letter reads.
Earlier, on August 28, West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay in a letter to Chairman of Railway Board Vinod Kumar Yadav had requested for the resumption of suburban trains, while maintaining Covid-19 protocols, including social distancing.
The letter to Yadav was sent after Mamata Banerjee announced that the state government is ready to allow local train services from September in the state.
The West Bengal government had urged the Railways to restart metro and local train services in a limited manner while maintaining Covid-19 protocols including physical distancing. “It is requested that before resumption of services, the required modalities and logistics to ensure smooth operation of these services may be worked out in consultation with the state government,” Bandopadhyay said.
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