Railway Subsidy For The Elderly Still On Halt, While MPs Enjoy Concessions
Despite support from lawmakers from both the BJP, which is in power, and the Congress, which is the main opposition, as well as a recommendation from a Parliament committee, senior citizen discounts on rail fares that were eliminated during Covid have not yet been reinstated.
The Indian Railways maintained to subsidise train tickets for current and previous Members of Parliament (MPs), despite the fact that this concession was terminated due to rising subsidy expenditures. As of March 20, 2020, the senior citizen discounts were no longer available. The Ministry of Railways was advised to reinstate the subsidised fares, which represent 40% to 50% of the overall ticket, by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways in August.
Senior people who are 60 years or older used to receive a 50% discount for ladies and 40% for males. The railways received 5808.85 crore from 9.36 crore seniors between April 2020 and September 2022.According to a Right to Information request made by RTI activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur of Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch, the Indian Railways have saved $2,560.9 crore since the Covid epidemic started by discontinuing senior citizen discounts.
The government stated that it has offered a subsidy of 59,837 crore on passenger tickets in the year 2019–20 in response to the suggestion made by the parliamentary committee on the concession. Mr. Gaur also requested information on the follow-up to this statement. This subsidy, which applies to all riders of all ages, is the equivalent of a 53% discount for each rail traveller.
Documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act reveal that Indian Railways continued to subsidise train tickets for current and former MPs even though it has been declining senior citizen discounts in order to reduce its subsidy costs. According to information obtained through RTI requests, the centre has spent more than 62 crore rupees on discounts for MPs and former MPs travelling by train during the last five years.
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