Tag Archives: Covid-19

2600 More Shramik Special Trains in next 10 days

  • Indian Railways to operationalise 2600 More Shramik Special Trains in next 10 days.

  • The decision is going to benefit around 36 lakhs stranded migrants.

  • Indian Railways has run 2600 Shramik Special Trains in last 23 days.

  • Around 36 lakhs stranded migrants have been transported till now to their home States.

While the country is battling with the pandemic COVID-19, Indian Railways is leaving no stone unturned to bring respite to the severely affected during this crucial time. In a constant endeavour to provide relief to migrants to reach home State,In a major decision, Ministry of Railways has decided to operationalise  2600 more Shramik Special Trains in next ten days across the country as per the needs of State Governments.This initiative is expected to benefit 36 lakh stranded passengers across the country.

Indian Railways  started running “Shramik Special” trains from 01 May 2020

It may be noted that Indian Railways  started running “Shramik Special” trains from 01 May 2020,  to move migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places due to lock down. These special trains are being run from point to point on the request of both the concerned State Governments as per the standard protocols for sending and receiving such stranded persons. The Railways and State Governments have appointed senior officials as Nodal Officers for coordination and smooth operation of these “Shramik Specials”. 

Indian Railways has run 2600 Shramik Special Trains  in last 23 days

Around 36 lakhs stranded migrants have been transported till now to their home States.

Indian Railways  beginning train services from 1st June

It is to be noted that apart from Shramik Special Trains, Ministry of Railways has started 15 pairs of Special Trains wef. 12.05.2020 and announced 200 train services to be started from wef 01st June, 2020.

CORONA TIME QUIZ

Corona time quiz

CORONA Time Quiz – 1

Can you answer these Simple quiestions

quiz is a form of game or mind sport, attempt to answer questions correctly.

Welcome to your Corona time quiz#1

Name

1. PM Modi announced a stimulus package, equivalent to about 10% of India’s GDP?

2. What are the most common symptoms of COVID-19?

3. Indian Railways decided to run “Shramik Special” trains form?

4. Indian Railway, resumed its Train services (100 Pair Trains) from?

5. Post COVID-19, use of Face mask may be the new normal?

6.

Recently, Indian Railway operationalises its most powerful ‘made in India’ locomotive?

7. Indian Railways suspended its all passenger trains from midnight of?

8.

Due to Corona pandemic, Govt. employees will not get a hike in Dearness Allowance till?

9.

How much of GDP is spent on healthcare in India?

10.

Indian Railways celebrated its foundation day on 16th April 2020?

23.5 lacs passengers transported through “Shramik Special” trains

Indian Railways  transports  more than 23.5 lacs passengers to their home states through “Shramik Special” trains in 20 days
Indian Railways operationalise 1773 “Shramik Special” trains till 20th May, 2020 (till 10:00 hrs) across the country
A total of 205 “Shramik Specials”, highest so far in a single day,  were operationalized with more than 2.5 lacs passengers

Indian Railways decided to operate “Shramik Special” trains form 1st May 2020. 

Subsequent to the Ministry of Home Affairs order regarding movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places by special trains, Indian Railways had decided to operate “Shramik Special” trains form 1st May 2020. 

These 1773 trains were originated from various states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh UT, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Puducherry UT, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.

Also, these Shramik Special Trains were terminated in various States like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,  West Bengal,

Screening of passengers

Proper screening of passengers is ensured before boarding the train. During the journey, passengers are given free meals and water.

Source: PIB release date 20.05.2020

Train Services resumption from 1st June 2020, only E-ticketing

LIST OF 200 (100 PAIRS) MAIL/EXPRESS TRAINS TO BE RUN FROM 01/06/20

Booking of all these trains will commence from 10 am on 21/05/20.

Graded Restoration of Train services…

Highlights:-
  • Move to help migrants as well who wish to travel other than Shramik Trains.
  • These rules are for trains other than Shramik trains, which will continue to run in bigger numbers.
  • 100 pairs of Trains listed- see the list here.
  • Norms made for Booking of Tickets & Charting, Quota, Concessions, Cancellation & Refunds, Health Screening, Catering, Linen etc
  • Booking of all these trains will commence from 10 am on 21/05/20.
  • Other regular Passenger services including all mail/express, passenger and suburban services shall remain cancelled until further advice.
  • There will be no unreserved coach in the train.
  • Fare shall be as normal and for General (GS) coaches, being reserved, second seating(2S) fare shall be charged and seat will be provided to all the passengers.
  • Only online E-Ticketing will be done through IRCTC website or through Mobile App. No tickets will be booked across the reservation counter on any Railway Station.
  • The ARP (advance reservation period) shall be maximum 30 days.
  • Only passengers with Confirmed tickets shall be allowed to enter the Railway station.
  • Screening to be done before boarding and only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to enter /board the train.
  • Concessions for four categories of Divyangjan concession and 11 categories of patient concessions are permitted in these special trains.
  • On arrival at their destination, the travelling passengers will have to adhere to such health protocols as are prescribed by the destination state/UT
  • No Linen, blankets and curtains shall be provided inside the train.
Detailed Instructions for beginning of Train Services…

Ministry of Railways (MoR) in consultation with Ministry of Health & Family welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) has decided that train services on Indian Railways shall be further partially restored w.e.f. from 01st June 2020.

Indian Railways will start operations of 200 passenger services as listed in the annexure (attached below). These trains shall run from 1/6/2020 and booking of all these trains will commence from 10 am on 21/05/20.

These special services shall be in addition to the existing Shramik special trains being run since 01st May and Special AC trains (30 trains) being run since 12th May 2020.

Other regular Passenger services including all mail/express, passenger and suburban services shall remain cancelled until further advice.

Train Type: Special trains on the pattern of Regular Trains

These will be fully reserved trains having both AC & Non AC classes. General (GS) coaches shall also have reserved seat for sitting. There will be no unreserved coach in the train.

Fare shall be as normal and for General (GS) coaches, being reserved, second seating(2S) fare shall be charged and seat will be provided to all the passengers.

Booking of Tickets & Charting:

i.          Only online E-Ticketing will be done through IRCTC website or through Mobile App. No tickets will be booked across the reservation counter on any Railway Station. Booking of tickets through ‘agents’, (both IRCTC Agents and Railway Agents) shall not be permitted.

ii.         The ARP (advance reservation period) shall be maximum 30 days.

iii.        RAC and Wait list will be generated as per extant rules however waiting list ticket holders shall not be permitted to board the train.

iv.        No unreserved (UTS) tickets will be issued and no tickets will be issued onboard to any passenger during the journey.

v.         No tatkal and premium tatkal booking shall be permitted in these trains.

vi.        First chart shall be prepared at least 4 hours before scheduled departure and second chart shall be prepared at least 2 hours((unlike present practice of 30 minutes) before scheduled departure. Only online current booking shall be permitted in between first and second chart preparation.

vii.       All passengers shall be compulsorily screened and only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to enter /board the train.

viii.      Passengers travelling by these special services will observe the following precautions :

1.         Only passengers with Confirmed tickets shall be allowed to enter the Railway station.

2.         All passengers must wear face covers/masks at the entry and during travel.

3.         The passengers shall reach the station at-least 90 minutes in advance to facilitate thermal screening at the station. Only passengers who are found asymptomatic will be permitted to travel.

4.         Passengers shall observe social distancing both at the station and on trains.

5.         On arrival at their destination, the travelling passengers will have to adhere to such health protocols as are prescribed by the destination state/UT

Quota Permitted:

All quotas shall be permitted in these special trains as has been permitted in Regular trains. Limited number of reservation (PRS) counters shall be operated for this purpose. However, normal ticket booking cannot be done through these counters.

Concessions: Only four categories of Divyangjan concession and 11 categories of patient concessions are permitted in these special trains..

Cancellation and Refund rule: Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Rules, 2015 shall be applicable.

In addition following instructions already issued regarding Refund of fare in case passenger is not found fit for travelling due to symptoms of Corona shall remain applicable.

As per MHA guidelines all passengers shall be compulsorily screened and only asymptomatic passengers shall be allowed to enter/board the train.

If during screening a passenger has very high temperature/symptoms of Covid-19 etc., he shall not be allowed to travel despite having confirmed tickets. In such case full refund shall be provided to passenger as under:-

(i)         On PNR having single passenger.

(ii)        On a party ticket if one passenger is found unfit to travel and also all  other passengers on the same PNR do not want to travel in that case full refund shall be granted for all passengers.

(iii)       On a party ticket if one passenger is found unfit to travel however other passengers on the PNR want to travel in that case full refund of fare shall be granted to passenger who was not allowed to travel.

For all the above cases, TTE certificates as per extant practice shall be issued to the passenger at the entry/checking/screening point itself mentioning “Number of passengers not travelled due to symptoms of Covid 19 in one or more passengers”

After getting TTE certificates, online TDR shall be filed for refund of not travelled passengers, within 10 days from the date of journey and the original

TTE certificate issued shall be sent by the passenger to IRCTC as per extant provision and full fare for the part passenger/full who have not travelled shall be refunded by IRCTC in the customer’s account.

For the above purpose, CRIS and IRCTC shall make necessary changes for filing of TDR for non-travelling passengers due to covid-19 symptoms. One option ‘part/full passenger not allowed to travel by Railways due to very high temperature/covid-19 symptoms’ will be available.

Catering:

No catering charges shall be included in the fare. Provision for pre paid meal booking, e-catering shall be disabled. However, IRCTC shall make provision for limited eatables and packaged drinking water on payment basis only in limited trains, having Pantry car attached. Information to this effect shall be made available to passengers during time of booking ticket.

Passengers are encouraged to carry their own food and drinking water.

All static catering and vending units (Multi Purpose stalls, Bookstalls, Misc./Chemist stalls etc) at Railway stations will remain open. In case of Food Plaza and Refreshments rooms etc, cooked items may be served as take away only with no sit-down eating arrangements in place.

Linen and Blanket:

No Linen, blankets and curtains shall be provided inside the train. Passengers are advised to carry their own linen for the travel. The temperature inside AC coaches shall be suitably regulated for this purpose.

Zonal Railways have been instructed to ensure that there are separate entry and exit gates at Railway stations to the extent feasible so that there is no face to face movement of passengers. Zonal railways will be guided by standard social distancing guidelines on stations and trains and observe the safety, security and hygiene protocols.

All passengers must download and use the Aarogya Setu application. Passengers are advised to travel light.

As per MHA guidelines the movement of the passenger(s) as well as the driver of the vehicle transporting the passenger(s) to and fro the Railway Station shall be allowed on the basis of the confirmed e-ticket.

Source: PIB Release date 20.05.2020

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Govt. employees will not get a hike in Dearness Allowance till July 2021

As per government notification “It has been decided that the additional instalment of Dearness Allowance payable to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to Central Government pensioners due from 1st January 2020 shall not be paid. The additional instalment of Dearness allowance and Dearness relief due from 1st July 2020 and 1st January 2021 shall not be paid. However, Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief at current rates will continue to be paid.”

No DA hike and No DA arrear for 1 year, 6 months.

No arrears for the period from 1st of January 2020 to 30th of June 2021 shall be paid.

The Country is in Lock Down since March’24 and future road map is also not clear, at this critical juncture Government is looking for curtailing the expenditure by various means. This is the first step, lots more to come. Employees of Government sector and private should be ready to face cut in various perks.

Government pensioners will also not get hike in their DA till July 2021, they will get only current rate of Dearness Allowances (DA).

These orders of freezing of Dearness Allowances to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to Central Government pensioners shall be applicable from January 2020 to June 2021, without any arrear.