CPI MP asks Railway Minister to restore rail fare concession for senior citizens
Premium- Indian Railways: The MP said that many senior citizens are not in a position to pay the full ticket fee, the lack of concessions causes them great hardship
Congress MP Binoy Viswam on Monday requested Union Railway Mnister Ashwini Vaishnaw to restore the concession for senior citizens in Railways which was suspended during the pandemic but has not yet been restored. The MP said that many senior citizens are not in a position to pay the full ticket fee, the lack of concessions causes them great hardship.
MP Binoy Viswam wrote in the letter,"Across the country, crores of senior citizens have been affected by the decision to withdraw concessions in railways given to them. The decision was made in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and has not been reviewed despite the repeated demands of the senior citizens, as the country has opened up once again.
“The Indian Railways was established with the primary purpose of providing citizens of India with an economical and efficient mode of transport. Over the years, over 50 categories of citizens, including senior citizens, were afforded concessions in order to make their travel affordable. However, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, these concessions were halted in the name of safety and prevention, with the implicit belief that they would resume after the pandemic abated and the country opened up again. Unfortunately, the Government has used the Covid-19 pandemic to permanently remove these concessions, much to the detriment of the people of India. With over 7 crore senior citizens using the Railways between March 2020-2022, the impact of the withdrawal of concessions is significant," the MP further added.