Express News Service
BENGALURU: The choice by Indian Railways to completely withdraw the concession in prepare fares for senior residents has upset the beneficiaries totally. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who had specified this within the Lok Sabha in a written reply in March this yr, reiterated this at a press meet in Chennai final week. With normalcy returning to journey throughout sectors, seniors have been hoping their subsidised journey withdrawn on well being and security grounds throughout COVID-19 from March 2020 can be restored.
CPI MP from Kerala Binoy Viswam on Monday urged the Railway Minister to revive it as crores of senior residents have been affected on account of its withdrawal.
Senior residents have loved this privilege for many years with males (60 years and above) given a 40% low cost on the prepare ticket and ladies (58 years and above) given 50% on it. The Minister in his briefing said that the transfer wouldn’t be restored as Railways was already working at a subsidised charge with Rs 45 solely collected from any passenger for each Rs 100 spent in the direction of operational bills.
TNIE spoke to a cross-section of senior residents to gauge the temper. 74-year-old R Rajammal is upset over the transfer. “There are very few privileges we are given as seniors. This was an important one and it must be brought back. It just shows that the government does not value its elderly. We travel far less compared to youngsters,” she mentioned.
67-year-old Ok.N. Krishnaprasad, additionally a vocal rail activist mentioned, “I really hope better sense prevails on the Indian Railways soon. It is never nice to withdraw some benefit or concession already provided. The huge concession on train fare is the main reason seniors prefer train fare over airfare.”
Senior citizen Anil Verma, who had reached Cantonment railway station on Monday from Palakkad mentioned, “I can afford the full fare and so have never availed the concession. But countless elders use them daily. It is in the interests of all that it needs to be restored.”
An aged couple who had arrived within the City from Chennai wished for it. “I will really be relieved and happy if it is restored,” mentioned A Lalitha, a homemaker. Her husband, C S Padmanabhan, a retired banker mentioned, “We had to pay Rs 600 each for our AC 3-tier ticket for this trip. It used to be Rs 450 for me and Rs 400 for my wife earlier.”
Asked about it, Chief Public Relations Officer, South Western Railway Zone, Aneesh Hegde mentioned, “It is a policy decision by the Railways. The Zone is adhering to it. However, we still provide concessions to four categories of Divyangjans, eleven categories of patients and students.”
