A parliamentary standing committee has suggested that the railways resume the fare concessions provided to older persons prior to the coronavirus pandemic, news agency PTI reported on Monday.
The Indian Railways used to offer a 40 per cent reduction on fares to males aged 60 years or older, and a 50 per cent discount to females if the minimum age was 58 years. These concessions were provided in all classes of the Mail/Express/Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duranto train group, however, they were revoked on March 20, 2020.
According to PTI, the proposal was made by the Standing Committee on Railways, chaired by BJP MP Radha Mohan Singh, in its report on grant demand, which was tabled in both Houses of Parliament on Monday. It had already made the same suggestion in a report.
According to the Committee, the Covid situation has now been normalised, and the national transporter has achieved normal growth, based on information provided by the Railways, the PTI report said.
"The Committee, in their 12th Action Taken Report (17th Lok Sabha) on Passenger Reservation System had also desired that the concessions to senior citizens which were available in pre-Covid times may be reviewed and considered at least in Sleeper Class and 3A Class so that the vulnerable and genuinely needy citizens could avail the facility in these classes," the report read.
"The Committee, therefore, reiterates their earlier recommendation contained in their above-mentioned report and urges the Railways to consider empathically the resumption of concessions in fares to senior citizens, particularly in Sleeper Class and 3A Class, under intimation to this Committee," the report stated.
Railways, on the other hand, stated that it has no imminent intentions to restart the concession. It asserted that all travellers were already receiving a 50-55 percent concession.
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(With Inputs From PTI)