Indian Railways may soon restore senior citizen concession, which was discontinued due to Covid, said Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
The Indian Railways gave subsidies worth Rs 59,837 crore on passenger tickets in 2019-20, which comes to an average concession of around 53% for every person travelling, Vaishnaw told Rajya Sabha on Friday. Months after a parliamentary panel recommended that the discount on railway tickets to senior citizens should be restored, the minister was asked in a written question about the government’s position on the concession which was suspended after the Covid pandemic hit.
“Standing Committee on Railways has advised to review and consider concession to senior citizens, at least in sleeper and 3 AC. Government gave subsidy of Rs 59,837 crore on passenger tickets in 2019-20. This amounts to concession of 53% on an average, to every person, travelling on Railways. This subsidy is continuing for all passengers,” said the minister
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The minister said concessions beyond this subsidy amount are continuing for many categories like Divyangjans (the differently abled), students and patients. With a view to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, Indian Railways had discontinued the operation of all regular passenger carrying trains with effect from March 23, 2020 and only special train services were being operated.
Since November 2021, Mail/express train services are being operated as per rationalised timetable and regular numbers. The passenger services are being operationalised in a phased manner. Indian Railways is keeping a close watch on the situation and regulating operations of trains accordingly,” the minister said.
In response to another question by BJP MP Sushil Modi, the minister informed that revenue foregone due to concessions in passenger fare to senior citizens during 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 were approximately Rs 1,491 crore, Rs 1,636 crore and Rs 1,667 crore respectively.
In 2017-18, Rs 670 crore was forgone in subsidy for senior citizens in non-AC classes of trains, while Rs 820 crore was the cost for subsidy in AC classes. In 2018-19, Rs 714 crore was spent on these concessions in non-AC classes, and Rs 921 crore in AC classes. In 2019-20, discount to non-AC classes was Rs 701 crore, while for AC classes it was Rs 965 crore.
Between 2019 and 2022, the concession for passengers with physical disabilities cost the railways Rs 209 crore, for patients it was Rs 221 crore and for students it was Rs 60 crore.
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In a report submitted in August last year, the Standing Committee on Railways had said senior citizens were earlier granted a concession amounting to 40-50 per cent of their railway fares, but the practice was stopped during the COVID-19 crisis.
The panel in its recommendations said concession to senior citizens which was available in pre-Covid times may be reviewed and considered at least in Sleeper and AC III classes urgently, so that the vulnerable and the genuinely needy senior citizens could avail the facility in these classes.
It also urged the ministry to give wide publicity to the “give up” scheme, which encourages senior citizens to give up their concessions voluntarily.
