Despite Unlock 5.0 guidelines allowing the resumption of local train and metro services, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government has taken it upon itself to ensure that the people’s lives are made a living hell, for which it has taken to not allowing the resumption of suburban train services before Durga Puja. On the same count, it has also taken to subtly indicate that it is the Modi government instead which must give the go-ahead for resumption of local train services, despite clearance for the same being given in the Unlock 5.0 guidelines released by the Ministry of Home Affairs itself.
The Railways too, on their part, have on two occasions at least, contacted the state government to request them for a meeting which would help coordinate the gradual resumption of local train services in the state. While the Eastern Railways shot off two letters to the state government, Mamata Didi and her lackeys thought it best to ignore the meeting requests, and instead make a circus out of the entire issue by blaming the Central government.
It is apparent that Govt of @MamataOfficial is deliberately delaying resumption of local trains in WBengal. Railways cannot restart services unless there is clearance & logistical support of state govt. But Nabanna is not even scheduling any meeting. This is duplicity. pic.twitter.com/1SOcFCrbvW
— Swapan Dasgupta (@swapan55) October 16, 2020
TMC leader Asit Chattopadhyay took to saying that it was the Modi government which had stopped the plying of trains, and that it was the Union government which therefore had to decide on the resumption of the same. This, however, comes in the backdrop of it being revealed that Eastern Railways since early September has been keen to resume local train activities, but for which it was receiving no support from the Mamata government. In fact, such is the state of affairs, that the Eastern Railways Division is being cold-shouldered by the TMC regime despite it writing two letters to them asking for a meeting on the issue.
In the second letter dated October 13, the IRTS officer Annet Dulat states that the railways had previously requested the West Bengal government to spare some time, but a meeting was not arranged till date. Eastern Railways also wrote about how the common people had been agitating at platforms trying to board the trains meant for Railway and government staff. Therefore, the second letter ended with a demand by the railways, that “A quick revert is solicited”. Still, no meeting has been arranged for by the Mamata government.
The people who have to travel between districts, mainly in and out of Kolkata, are the ones who are primarily suffering due to the state government’s insensitivity on the matter, which is aimed at solely gaining political brownie points months before the state election. The TMC government, on its part, has said that it will not resume local train services before Durga Puja festivities are over. However, if that is the case, why is it then blaming the central government and having its leaders give out profound statements which say that the Modi government must be held accountable for not giving the go-ahead for resuming local train services?
