WITHDRAWAL OF TRAVEL CONCESSION TO ELDERLY CITIZENS BY THE RAILWAY

Projected population of elderly citizens in India in 2021 is 138 million. Most of them do not have any earning and depending on their children or their near and dear ones. A good number of them are awaiting for the final call in the old age homes. For the past few years our railway have offered them 40/50% concessions in journey fare. This has helped them to visit their dear ones, places of worship and health care centres once in a while. Withdrawal of this concession may force most of them to remain in the homes. This is really a cruelty to those who had sweat their blood for the new generation of our country.

Due to the coronavirus out break railway have suspended this concessions since long. According to the statement of the railway, 37,850,668 elderly citizens travelled by train between 22 March 2020 and September 2021. They were forced to pay full fare during this period. Most probably these were not any pleasure trips for any of them. They were constrained to make this unavoidable journey.

When other countries are giving more and more pensions, concessions and facilities to senior citizens,  we are trying to withdraw what little bit existing too,  is really inhuman and pathetic for these helpless old people.

Since this is a negligible expense/earning for the government, the Honorable  Prime Minister may interfere in this matter and may try to reinstate the concessions at his earliest.

K V George