Mumbai Locals Restarting: Clarification On Who Are The ‘Real’ Essential Service Workers

What would happen if you implement a policy without giving much thought, time, or effort on it? Certainly, it will become a blunder! The same is happening in the case of restarting Mumbai Locals. After a long time, Mumbai Locals started for the essential service staff workers from this Monday on 15th June.

However, the BMC and Maharashtra Government failed to provide further clarity to the Police Department, Railway Board, and in the end, who is suffering? – The essential staff workers, ‘Our Corona Warriors’!

What is the issue Happening while commuting in Mumbai Locals?

Atul Lokhande is one of such sufferers working in a private Hospital. Here he is quoting his experience with Mumbai Locals,

“I checked at the booking window and the person said a ticket will be issued. But the police did not allow this saying that the services are not for private hospital employees but only for those in government hospitals.”

We already explained the terms of restarting Mumbai Locals in our article, Mumbai Local Trains Resume Services For Essential Service Workers – Read Guidelines but it seems, there is a lack of clarity everywhere. As a result, many people were forced to turn away and not allowed to travel in Locals.

Certain Police Personnels are stating that they’re allowing only government bank personnel and not from the private staff. Amid all these confusions, all the force of 3,000 from Government, Railway, Police (GRP), and 2,000 from the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

To resolve this ambiguity, GRP is taking a lead. GRP Commissioner Mr. Ravindra Sengaokar states,

“We have written to the state government to give clear instructions if employees in private hospitals, banks and postal service are allowed to travel.”

We wish, all this ambiguity gets clear soon! There are many hardships already in people’s life. If their commuting gets easy, surely there will be a sigh of relief.