Hours after Congress offered to pay for the railway fares of stranded migrant workers, the Congress government in Rajasthan has stepped in to save the party’s money. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced that the state government, not the party, will pay for the railway fares of migrants.
https://twitter.com/ashokgehlot51/status/1257253798298259457?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwTaking to Twitter, Gehlot on Monday credited Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi said that “On direction of Sonia Gandhi, we have decided that Rajasthan government will bear expenses of those who are travelling from Rajasthan to other states.”
Sonia Gandhi had actually directed state Congress units, not Congress run governments, to pay for the migrant workers. Hence, Gehlot, in a bid to save the party fund will now use Rajasthan tax payers’ money by bearing the expenses. While many state governments, like Madhya Pradesh, have stepped in to bear the expenses of migrant workers, Congress-led Rajasthan government’s decision comes after the party president directed party funds be used for the same.
Congress offers to pay for fares which anyway government was paying for
On Monday, Congress leaders took to Twitter to claim that since government is charging money for the railway fare of the stranded migrants going back home on Shramik Special trains, the party will chip in and bear the expenses for the same. This offer to pay for the migrants’ fare came two days after the Railway Ministry had clarified that the state and central governments are facilitating the movement of migrants through Shramik Special trains. On Sunday, 3rd May, 2020, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took to Twitter to clarify Madhya Pradesh State Government will bear their expenses.
However, now that Congress has offered to use its own money instead of tax payers’, Rajasthan Chief Minister has offered to absolve Congress party of the responsibility.