Around 15 thousand Railway employees have been affected by Coronavirus and 336 have lost their lives in the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said, maximum 67 employees have lost their lives in the Central Railway Zone followed by 54 in South-Central and 50 in Western Railways Zone.

He informed that a maximum number of over two thousand cases have been reported in South-Central Railways followed by one thousand 323 in Central Railways and one thousand 307 in Northern Railways.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the passing of the two farm-related bills in Lok Sabha as historic. He said the agrarian reform bills are of utmost importance for the farmers and agriculture sector of the country.

The Prime Minister said, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 will truly free the farmers from middlemen and all obstacles.

He said, these agrarian reforms will provide new opportunities to farmers to sell their produce, which will increase their profits. Mr. Modi asserted that these legislations will empower farmers in the country and will ensure that they get the benefit of modern technology.

He said various powers are engaged in confusing the farmers regarding the provisions of the new legislation. Mr. Modi assured farmers that the system of MSP and government procurement will continue as before. He exhorted that these bills will additionally fortify the farmers by giving them many more options.