Uttarakhand Congress Committee ready to pay for rail tickets of needy amid lockdown: Pritam Singh

A couple of days back, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi had said that her party will bear the cost for rail travel of every needy migrant worker and labourer to their respective home towns during the lockdown.

Uttarakhand Congress president Pritam Singh on Wednesday shot off a letter to state Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh pertaining to the issue of transportation of migrants and students from other states and said his party is ready to bear the expenses of the rail travel of the stranded.

"As announced by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the State Congress Committee is prepared to bear the rail fare for the migrants stuck in other states to return home," the letter read.

"If the state government is facing any financial issues to bring back the stranded, then our Committee is all ready to extend its support to the needy," the letter reads.

A couple of days back, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi had said that her party will bear the cost for rail travel of every needy migrant worker and labourer to their respective home towns during the lockdown.

She said that Congress had taken the decision as the Centre and Rail Ministry had completely ignored party's repeated requests to ensure provisions of "safe and free rail travel of migrant workers and labourers to their home-towns."

"Indian National Congress has taken a decision that every Pradesh Congress Committee shall bear the cost for the rail travel of every needy worker and migrant labourer and shall take necessary steps in this regard. This will be the Indian National Congress' humble contribution in service of our compatriots and to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with them," a statement issued by the Congress interim President read.

( With inputs from ANI )