After taking charge, newly appointed Union Minister Raosaheb Danve on Thursday talked about the resumption of local trains in Mumbai. While talking to the media, he said that the local trains would resume 'immediately' if the Maharashtra government seeks permission for the same.
Minister of State for Railways, Raosaheb Danve said, “The responsibility of starting the local trains has been handed over to the state government. The state government can take a view of the COVID-19 situation in the state and send a proposal to the Centre regarding the resumption of local trains. We will grant permission and start the local trains immediately if so."
Maharashtra's Health Minister Rajesh Tope had said earlier that the local trains in Mumbai might get resumed soon. He stated that train services might resume if the state of Maharashtra speeds up its vaccination process, for which the Centre has to supply the vaccines in ample quantity.
Till date, only state government and public administration officials are allowed to commute in the Mumbai local trains. Congress leader Milind Deora had also demanded the government of Maharashtra to allow local train travel for the citizens who are vaccinated, earlier this week.
As a part of the Cabinet reshuffle exercise, Raosaheb Danve took charge as Minister of State (MoS) for Railways yesterday. In Wednesday's reshuffle and expansion of PM Modi's Council of Ministers, a total of 43 political leaders were sworn in as Union ministers, and some have been elevated as cabinet ministers.
