Concessions for senior citizens stopped to discourage travel amid pandemic, says Southern Railway

The railways also said that it suffered a revenue loss of Rs 5,475 core from 2016-2019 due to concessions offered to various categories of passengers
After two months of lockdown, Southern Railway resumed services on June 1. (Photo| EPS/ A Raja Chidambaram)
After two months of lockdown, Southern Railway resumed services on June 1. (Photo| EPS/ A Raja Chidambaram)

CHENNAI: The Southern Railway on Thursday informed the Madras High Court that the concession that was being provided to senior citizens stands cancelled to discourage unnecessary travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The railways also said that it suffered a revenue loss of Rs 5,475 core from 2016-2019 due to concessions offered to various categories of passengers.

A Sundar, the Deputy Chief Commercial Manager of Southern Railway, made the submission on a plea moved by A S Mohammed Khader Meeran of Tiruchy seeking directions to the railway to initiate steps in restarting ticket booking with concession through the online portal of IRCTC.

In the reply submitted by PT Ramkumar, the counsel for railways also said, "The element of concession extended was varying from 10% to 100% depending upon the category. However, in view of COVID-19, a lot of train services were cancelled across the country and it was decided to grant concessions only for persons with disability (Divyangjan), 11 categories of patients and students.”

Prior to March 20, as a welfare measure to the public, concession in passenger fare was given to more than 50 categories of passengers including Divyangjan, 11 categories of patients, youths, kisans, artists, sportspersons, medical professional, senior citizens, awardees, war widows, students and press correspondents, said the reply filed by the railways.

The railways submitted that concessional tickets are issued to 11 categories of patients across the reservation counter on the production of an original medical certificate.

Such tickets can also be purchased by any other person on behalf of the patients on the production of an original certificate issued by a doctor of a recognised hospital. Since such verification is apre-condition, online booking cannot be permitted, he added.

Recording the submissions, a division bench of Justices M M Sundresh and R Hemalatha adjourned the hearing to September 17.

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