Ministry of Railways takes steps to prevent misuse of Senior Citizen “CONCESSION” as well as Senior Citizen “Quota”

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Railways

Ministry of Railways takes steps to prevent misuse of Senior Citizen “CONCESSION” as well as Senior Citizen “Quota” 

Under the new steps, passengers misusing both senior citizen “quota” and senior citizen “concession” will be treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly

Passengers misusing senior citizens “concession” only would be charged penalty in addition to difference of fare (between full fare and concessional fare)

The move will help the genuine eligible senior citizen passengers

The new instructions will be made effective w.e.f. 01st February, 2016

As per the current policy of railway travel concession, male senior citizen of the age of 60 years and above, women senior citizen of the age of 58 and above are granted 40% and 50% concession respectively in all classes of Mail/Express/ Rajdhani/ Shatabdi etc, trains. No proof of age is required at the time of purchasing tickets, however, during journey the senior citizen is required to carry prescribed documentary proof issued by any Government agency showing their age or date of birth. In case the senior citizen is not able to produce the requisite proof of age during the journey he/she is charged only the difference of fare (between full fare and concessional fare).                                                              

1.      Senior citizen have also been provided a facility to get confirmed lower berths under Senior Citizen Quota.

2.      Instances have been brought to the notice of this office regarding misuse of senior citizen concession as well as quota as under:-

(i)     The passengers book the ticket under Senior Citizen Quota by giving wrong age. In case they are detected they give the difference of fare otherwise they go undetected resulting in loss of revenue to the Railways.

(ii)   Some passengers also book confirmed lower berths under Senior Citizens Quota and in case they get detected, they pay the difference of fare and enjoy the benefit of senior citizens “concession”/as well as “quota” unauthorisedly. 

(iii) Some agents use this method to cheat the passengers. They book the ticket by giving wrong declaration of age and subsequently modify the e-ticket by giving correct age and dupe the passengers.

Matter has been examined and the following has been decided by the Ministry of Railways:-

(i)   CRIS/ IRCTC will make a provision that whenever a passenger enquires about the PNR status, the fare charged on the ticket should be reflected. Feasibility of displaying other relevant details like full form of quota under which booked, age of passenger shall also be explored by CRIS/IRCTC so that the passengers do not get cheated by unscrupulous ticketing agents.

(ii) Whenever any passenger is found travelling in the train on the berths booked under Senior Citizen “Quota” by declaration of wrong age depriving the genuine eligible passengers he/she should be treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly. This is a case where he is misusing both “concession” as well as “Quota”. This penalty is suggested as the person is not only cheating on fare part but is also getting a confirmed lower berth on false declaration depriving the eligible passengers of a confirmed lower berth.

(iii) Whenever any passenger is found travelling in the train by declaration of wrong age so as to get senior citizen “Concession” only, they should be charged penalty in addition to difference of fare.( between full fare and concessional fare)

These instructions will be made effective w.e.f. 01.02.2016.

Necessary instructions are being issued to all concerned specifically ticket checking staff with a note of caution to be patient and tactful while handling such passengers to avoid any complaint regarding any harassment. The move is aimed at helping genuine eligible senior citizen passengers

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Details of major concessions granted to different categories of persons on Indian Railways

GENERAL RULES FOR CONCESSION 

 

   The detailed rules, procedures, entitlement, purposes, etc for grant of concession are contained under different serial numbers in IRCA Coaching Tariff, Part I (Vol. II) which can be purchased from the General Secretary, I.R.C.A., Chelmsford Road, New Delhi. For any complaints or clarifications, the General Manager or the Chief Commercial Superintendent of the concerned Zonal Railway Administration should be approached. The important general rules for concession, in reference to the above mentioned Tariff, are as under:

 

   1. (a) All concessional fares shall be calculated on the basis of fares for Mail/Express trains irrespective of the type of train, i.e. Mail or Express or Passenger, by which the passenger travels.

 

   (b) Concession shall not be granted for any journey the cost of which is borne by the Central or State Government or a local authority or a Statutory body or a Corporation or a Government Undertaking or a University. However, the students participating in the tournaments held or recognized by the schools or universities will be eligible to the concession.

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FACILITIES EXTENDED TO HANDICAPPED PERSONS IN RESPECT OF RESERVATION IN TRAINS.

FACILITIES EXTENDED TO HANDICAPPED PERSONS IN RESPECT OF RESERVATION IN TRAINS.

   (i) A reservation quota of two sleeper class berths has been earmarked in all trains running on non- suburban sections for handicapped persons performing their journey on handicapped concessional ticket. The person accompanying the handicapped person as escort is also allotted the berth out of this quota.

   (ii) Instructions have also been issued that in the tickets issued through Computerized Passenger Reservation System, to extent  feasible, one lower berth should be allotted to the handicapped person and the  person accompanying the handicapped person as escort should be allotted middle/upper berths near the handicapped person subject to availability of accommodation.

   (iii)After departure of the train, if there are vacant lower berths available in the train, and if any physically handicapped person booked on the authority of handicapped concessional ticket, who has been allotted upper/middle berth, approaches for allotment of vacant lower berths, the Conductor/Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) has been authorized to allot the vacant lower berth to them making necessary entries in the chart.

   (iv) Specially designed coaches known as SLRD coaches with wider entrance doors to allow a wheel chair to  enter, wider aisles and modified toilet with 4 berths, the lower two for physically challenged persons and upper berths for attendants have been attached in almost all Mail/Express  trains except Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi Express Trains and Duronto Express Trains.

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