<p>The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways recommended on Thursday that the government reintroduced senior citizens concession in railways, at least in the sleeper and 3rd AC class, to enable the more vulnerable citizens to travel in peace in trains.</p>.<p>The committee in its report said that since the railways was heading towards normalcy, it should judiciously consider the concessions it previously granted to different categories of passengers.</p>.<p>“The Committee desire that concession to senior citizens which was available in pre-COVID times may be reviewed and considered at least in Sleeper Class and III AC urgently, so that the vulnerable and the genuinely needy senior citizens could avail the facility in these classes,” the panel stated in the report it tabled in Parliament on Thursday.</p>.<p>The Railways, which stopped all categories of concessions on March 20, 2020, as part of the government’s plan to check the spread of Covid-19, subsequently reintroduced concessions for four categories of differently abled, and 11 categories of patients and students. In the pre-Covid-19 period, the railways used to provide concessions to 53 categories of passengers. </p>.<p>Earlier, the railways informed the panel, headed by Lok Sabha member Radha Mohan Singh, that the quantum of revenue forgone in the passenger earnings segment because of the concessions was Rs 1,670 crore in 2016-17, Rs 1,810 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 1,995 crore during 2018-19. </p>.<p>The railways also informed the panel that passenger fare in most of the classes was already low. Passenger segment over railways had suffered continuous loss, however no substantial increase in passenger fare took place in the past decade and a half. In view of this, to increase revenue and to lessen the recurring loss, the concept of flexi fare scheme was also introduced.</p>.<p>In 2019-20, the total loss in passenger services, including sundry earnings, was approximately Rs 50,633 crore, the railways informed the Committee.</p>
<p>The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways recommended on Thursday that the government reintroduced senior citizens concession in railways, at least in the sleeper and 3rd AC class, to enable the more vulnerable citizens to travel in peace in trains.</p>.<p>The committee in its report said that since the railways was heading towards normalcy, it should judiciously consider the concessions it previously granted to different categories of passengers.</p>.<p>“The Committee desire that concession to senior citizens which was available in pre-COVID times may be reviewed and considered at least in Sleeper Class and III AC urgently, so that the vulnerable and the genuinely needy senior citizens could avail the facility in these classes,” the panel stated in the report it tabled in Parliament on Thursday.</p>.<p>The Railways, which stopped all categories of concessions on March 20, 2020, as part of the government’s plan to check the spread of Covid-19, subsequently reintroduced concessions for four categories of differently abled, and 11 categories of patients and students. In the pre-Covid-19 period, the railways used to provide concessions to 53 categories of passengers. </p>.<p>Earlier, the railways informed the panel, headed by Lok Sabha member Radha Mohan Singh, that the quantum of revenue forgone in the passenger earnings segment because of the concessions was Rs 1,670 crore in 2016-17, Rs 1,810 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 1,995 crore during 2018-19. </p>.<p>The railways also informed the panel that passenger fare in most of the classes was already low. Passenger segment over railways had suffered continuous loss, however no substantial increase in passenger fare took place in the past decade and a half. In view of this, to increase revenue and to lessen the recurring loss, the concept of flexi fare scheme was also introduced.</p>.<p>In 2019-20, the total loss in passenger services, including sundry earnings, was approximately Rs 50,633 crore, the railways informed the Committee.</p>
