PUNE: With an eye on increasing revenue, Indian Railways has finalised a proposal to offer passengers an option to voluntarily give up the 47 per cent subsidy on train tickets offered to them.
The Railways has decided to put ‘Give It Up’ option on requisition forms (for ticket reservation) next to other options like ‘Doctor’, ‘Pregnant woman’, ‘Patient’ and ‘Senior Citizens’, according to highly placed sources.
Currently, the passengers pay 53 per cent of the ticket fare while booking the tickets and 47 per cent is borne by the Railways.
“The Railways has already started working on ‘Give it Up’ proposal,” said a senior Railway officer in Mumbai.
“However, this proposal will be visible on forms by the end of August this year,” he added.
“The requisition form, which is given by passengers during the booking of tickets, will have the option of ‘Give It Up’. There will be a separate column for it. If the passenger selects that option, he or she will have to pay the full fare for their ticket.”
The officer gave an example of a ticket from Pune to Delhi in Jhelum Express in AC three-tier, currently costing Rs 1,675 - 53 per cent of the actual fare - i.e. Rs 3,100 (approximately). “The passengers who choose to give up the subsidy will pay Rs 3,100,” he said.
According to the officer, “The Railways has already asked the Indian Railway Catering Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to make an option for the same. By the end of August, the new system will begin. It is up to the passenger to decide whether he or she wants to avail the option or not. The Railways is not going to force anyone. The requisition forms across the country have already printed that the option is not mandatory. Whenever the new system begins, the new forms will be available at the ticket windows and on IRCTC website.”
“If the scheme is implemented, the amount paid by the passengers will be used for the development of Railways and nothing else. New trains will be launched and stations will be re-developed and many works which are pending since long will be fulfilled,” the railway officer told Sakal Times.
WHAT IS ‘GIVE IT UP’?
- The ‘Give It Up’ scheme was proposed by the then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in 2016 on lines of a similar scheme to give up LPG subsidy.
- It was later withdrawn after the Opposition raised some concerns.
- In July 2017, the Railways introduced the ‘Give It Up’ scheme for senior citizens urging them to surrender their concession.
- This proved to be a success as 48 lakh passengers availed the option and the Railways earned Rs 78 crore apart from their main revenue.
- The scheme will continue for senior citizens even after introducing the scheme for others as well.
