india.com : May 15, 2020, 08:02 AM
New Delhi: In a significant late-night development, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday allowed states and Union Territories (UTs) to hire special buses to transport passengers from railway stations to their respective destinations.Writing a letter to all state governments and UTs, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said keeping in view the restrictions, some of the state governments have requested to allow special buses to ferry passengers arriving by train to their home.“Keeping in view the situation, state and Union Territory governments are allowed to engage special buses from railway stations wherever public or personal transport is not available, maintaining proper social distancing norms,” Bhalla said in the letter.Writing further in the letter, the MHA secretary said that under the standard operating protocol issued by the Union Home Ministry, to and fro movement of passengers from railway station to home has been allowed on the basis of confirmed e-tickets.To address the issue of movement of migrant workers across the country, the Central government has earlier this week resumed the train services connecting New Delhi with 15 destinations in different parts of the country.