Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that the railways must either provide special trains on rent or arrange additional trains on their own from different stations, especially in north Bengal, to ferry Trinamul Congress workers to its annual July 21 Martyrs' Day rally in Calcutta.

"There are two options (for the railways). First, you provide special trains for rent, and we will pay the required amount. They may attach additional coaches to the existing trains for rent. Otherwise, you have to take responsibility by arranging additional trains on your own," the chief minister said during an administrative meeting to discuss preparations to handle untoward situations during the monsoon.

The annual event is important in the TMC's political calendar as it is organised in remembrance of 13 people, who had died in police firing in Calcutta during a rally on July 21, 1993, led by the then youth congress leader Mamata Banerjee.

"I can say that people from north Bengal would start their journey from different stations from July 18. I can't bring them by bus from those faraway locations," she added after instructing chief secretary B.P. Gopalika to convey her message to the railways.

Mamata said although Trinamul leaders had deposited money for booking special trains to ferry supporters to the July 21 event in previous years, the railways refused to provide the trains at the last moment.

"What the railways' authorities always do is, despite accepting the deposit money, finally they don't provide us with special trains and return the deposit. I will request the chief secretary to speak to them (railways)," said the chief minister.

A source in the TMC said that although the TMC dispensation had been planning to bring more people from north Bengal, where the BJP's organisational strength is comparatively better than in the south, the party had been failing to meet the target because of transportation problems.

"Even last year, our north Bengal leader could not get special trains despite applying to the authorities. It is tough to get reservations on regular north Bengal-bound trains because of their high demand. Most importantly, it is impossible to reserve tickets for thousands of party workers to bring them to Calcutta" said a TMC leader.

This time, the TMC planned to bring at least a lakh people from different north Bengal districts to Calcutta for the July 21 rally, in the backdrop of the party's victory in 29 Lok Sabha seats out of 42 in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.