The train fare for migrant workers leaving Punjab was paid by the Punjab state exchequer and not by the Congress party or its President Sonia Gandhi.
The Ministry of Railway on 2 May 2020, regarding the Ministry of Home Affairs' order No. 40-3/20-DM-I(A) has said that the movement of people at different places has been allowed by special trains called Sharmik Special. It is said that the state government should hand over the tickets to the passengers cleared by them and collect the ticket fair and handover total amount to Indian railways.
However, Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh had tweeted that Punjab government would pay railways for the travel of migrant workers as suggested by Sonia Gandhi. It was reported that a sum of Rs 35 crore was set aside from the Punjab state disaster relief fund to facilitate their travel. It was previously decided by the congress party's central leadership for their respective state units to bear the travel costs of migrant workers. While some states governments declined the approach made by the Congress party, states like Punjab have paid the train fare from their respective state funds.
Therefore, Sonia Gandhi did not pay the cost of train fares of migrants who were being transported through special trains to their native places.
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