PATNA: The railways is seriously mulling over an idea to restrict free travelling facilities of railway officials and employees in AC class across the country.
This decision is being contemplated after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is at present holding the railway ministry with him, has recently directed the general managers (GMs) of all 17 zones to give a thought over it with an aim to increase the railway revenue.
According to a Railway Board official, the PM, who reviewed the entire functioning of the railways at the recent high-level meeting held in New Delhi with the Board members and GMs, expressed concern over increasing expenditure as well as no substantial profit from AC bogies, he said.
According to sources, the PM wanted to know as to how free travelling in AC bogies by the railway officials and employees was making a telling effect on railway revenue. "The GMs of all zones have thus been directed by the Board to assess the exact position in each zone of the railways and suggest ways and means to increase revenue by way of AC class in particular," sources said.
According to sources, the railways has been giving free pass facilities in AC class to railway officials belonging to Class I and II category as well as Class III employees. While railway officials are being given six set of free privilege passes in one calendar year, Class III employees are given three sets of free passes. Besides, Class IV employees, including coolies and gang men, have also been provided with free pass facility to travel in AC class once in a year, sources said, adding MPs, MLAs, MLCs, freedom fighters and gallantry award winners are also beneficiaries of free travel in AC bogies.
According to a Board official, about 12 lakh railway employees have been given facility to travel free in AC class at least thrice in a year along with their family members. While the number of passenger trains is about 11,000 across the country, the number of mail and express is about 4,000 now. The railways has been running fully air-conditioned trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express at the country level, he said.
Sources said that the railways has been giving free travel facility to the railway officials and employees in AC class while they are on duty. As such, the railways has to provide berths to them in AC class on priority basis ignoring the claims of bonafide passengers.
The railways is thus busy taking stock of number of berths available in each class and their occupancy rate in each zone. Accordingly, the PM is likely to take some hard measures to streamline railway revenue. Besides, the railway fare has not been increased for the past seven years in any class while the cost of petroleum products has increased several times, sources said.
Courtesy; toi
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