Railways earned Rs 5,800 crore by abolishing exemption for senior residents, this a lot exemption was earlier obtainable – India TV Hindi

Proper to Data (RTI) Questions requested below the regulation have revealed that Indian Railways has earned further income of over Rs 5,800 crore from senior residents because the withdrawal of concessions given to senior residents in prepare fares. The Railway Ministry had withdrawn the concession given to senior residents on prepare fares after the nationwide lockdown was introduced on March 20, 2020 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. Until that point, Railways used to offer 50 p.c low cost in prepare fare to girls passengers and 40 p.c low cost to male and transgender senior residents. After the elimination of this exemption, senior residents should pay the identical fare as different passengers.

Data acquired from RTI

As per railway norms, males and transgenders aged 60 years and above and girls aged 58 years and above are thought of senior residents. The image concerning the scenario after the top of the concession in passenger fare given to the aged has grow to be clear from the solutions acquired on some RTI functions. Madhya Pradesh resident Chandra Shekhar Gaur has filed functions below the RTI Act at completely different occasions and has obtained info that from March 20, 2020 to January 31, 2024, Railways has earned further income of greater than Rs 5,875 crore below this head. Gaur stated, “I filed three functions below the RTI Act. Within the first utility, the Railways offered me with further income information from March 20, 2020 to March 31, 2022. Within the second utility, information from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 was revealed. Whereas from the third utility filed in February 2024, I received the main points from April 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024.”

Statistics given by yr and gender

Sharing copies of those RTI replies, he stated, “Railways has given information on the idea of yr and gender. With the assistance of those we are able to simply discover out the extra income collected by the Railways from March 20, 2020 to January 31, 2024.” These copies present that in a interval of about 4 years, about 13 crore males, 9 crore Ladies and 33,700 transgender senior residents made prepare journeys producing a complete income of about Rs 13,287 crore. “Calculating the concession of fifty per cent for girls and 40 per cent concession for male and transgender senior citizen passengers already relevant, this quantity works out to greater than Rs 5,875 crore,” Gaur stated.

Demand for restoration of exemption has been raised

Questions associated to restoration of prepare fare concessions to senior residents after the top of the pandemic have been raised at varied boards, together with each Homes of Parliament. Nevertheless, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, with out giving any direct reply to this, had stated that Indian Railways provides 55 p.c low cost on prepare fare to each railway passenger. Vaishnav had stated in a press convention in January, 2024, “If the worth of a prepare ticket to a vacation spot is Rs 100, then the Railways is charging solely Rs 45 from the passenger. Thus giving a concession of Rs 55 on the journey. On this context, Gaur stated that the current authorities has solely withdrawn the concessions as a substitute of constructing any new provide, therefore this exhibits that extra concessions needs to be given on the acquisition of prepare tickets than Rs 55 earlier than Covid-19. Have been staying.

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