Waiting for Maharashtra govt's nod to run Ganapati special trains: Central Railway

The Central Railway (CR) said on Thursday that it is ready to run special trains to the coastal districts of Maharashtra for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, but the state government has not yet given a final nod.

It was ready to run trains to Konkan by following all the norms including social distancing, but the state government asked to put the schedule on hold, it claimed in a statement.

"Central Railway wishes to inform the passengers that it is ready to run the specials, however, the final go-ahead is yet to be confirmed by the state government," it said.

On July 23, it asked the state government to convey its view about running special trains amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the number of such trains and dates, the CR said.

The director of the Maharashtra government's disaster management unit on August 7 informed that Ganapati special trains "may be scheduled", it said.

So it immediately prepared a schedule and sent it to the Railway Board which instantly approved it subject to Standard Operating Procedure of the Ministry of Home Affairs and inter-district travel norms of the state government, it said.

"However, senior officials of the state government of Maharashtra informed on telephone on Saturday, 8th August at night to keep on hold the schedule....as the matter is under re-consideration of Maharashtra Government," it said.

"Since then Railway administration, both at (Railway) board level and zonal level, are in continuous touch with Maharashtra Government officials and have been waiting to go ahead," the Central Railway stated.

Every year, lakhs of devotees travel to their native places in Konkan for Ganesh Chaturthi -- which falls on August 22 this year -- from Mumbai and other cities of the state.

In view of the pandemic, the state government this year has made 10-day home quarantine mandatory for the devotees on reaching villages. The state government is already operating several Ganapati special buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation.

(Photo Credit: PTI)