look news india
The eyes of lakhs of senior citizens of the country are fixed on the question that when will the discount given to them on train fares start again? This facility, which was closed in March 2020 during the Corona epidemic, has not been restored yet. Recently, this matter once again echoed in the Parliament, where Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav presented the government’s side on this.
Government said- We are already giving 45% discount
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, instead of giving a direct ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, put forward a big figure. He said that Railways is already providing average fare to every passenger, irrespective of age. 45% off Is giving.
He explained that if the actual cost of a journey is Rs 100, then the Railways is charging only Rs 55 from you, the remaining Rs 45 is borne by the government itself. In the year 2023-24, Railways has announced to the passengers the total Rs 60,466 crore Has given subsidy. The government says that all the citizens of the country are getting this benefit.
So will senior citizens not get separate exemption?
When MPs asked questions on restoring relaxations, especially for senior citizens, the Railway Minister referred to a recommendation of a parliamentary committee. He said, “The Standing Committee of Railways has suggested that at least Sleeper and third AC The concession given to senior citizens should be reviewed and considered.”
However, he did not clarify when this idea would be completed or when the exemption would come into effect. Their response did not provide any direct assurance that the facility would reopen in the near future.
These people are still getting exemption
The Railway Minister informed that apart from the average concession of 45% being given to all passengers, concessions in many special categories are still continuing. in these Four types of disabled people, 11 types of patients and eight types of students. Those who are being given concession in fares are included.
Overall, it is clear from the Railway Minister’s reply that the government believes that it is already giving huge discounts to all passengers. The old separate discount given to senior citizens is only being ‘considered’, but no decision has been taken on when and how it will be implemented. At present, crores of elderly people of the country may have to wait longer for their concessional tickets.