Rahul accuses Centre of earning profits by operating Special trains, Union minister hits back

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the government of benefitting by making profits during the Coronavirus-induced lockdown when people were in trouble.

He tagged a news report that claimed the Indian Railways was making profit by running 'Shramik trains' for transporting migrants during the pandemic.

"There are clouds of disease and people are in trouble, but one seeks to benefit — this anti-people government is converting a disaster into profits and is earning," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

The news report claimed that the Railways made a profit of Rs 428 crore by running 'Shramik Special' trains during the lockdown that transported migrants to their native places.

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday criticised the Congress leader after he accused the Centre of earning profits by operating the Special trains to transport stranded migrants.

"Only those who looted the country can describe subsidy as profit," Goyal tweeted. "The railways spent more money in running Shramik trains than it received from state governments. People are now asking what happened to Sonia [Gandhi] ji's promise of paying for people's tickets."

Hundreds of migrant labourers began journeys home on foot in March, after the Centre imposed a countrywide lockdown to limit the spread of the Coronavirus. They were left without jobs and means of transportation to reach home. Some died on the way due to illness and exhaustion.

In another tweet, Rahul lauded the efforts of the Himachal government in conducting a survey to select 'one district, one product', saying he had suggested this sometime back.

"This is a good idea. I had suggested it some time back. Its implementation will need a complete change of mindset," he said on Twitter.

He also tagged a report that stated the state Industries Department is conducting a baseline survey in all districts to select one district, one product for centrally-sponsored Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP). With agency inputs