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| Fares firm, freebies galore |
| BS Reporter / New Delhi Jul 04, 2009, 00:15 IST |
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Making ‘tatkal’ scheme marginally cheaper, non-stop trains between major cities among key decisions
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee while keeping the passenger fares untouched announced a bevy of concessions for the low-income groups, youth and journalists apart from tinkering with the tatkal scheme to make it marginally cheaper.
Analysts say the concessions would cost the railways around Rs 500 crore per annum.
However, for those who can pay, she has also promised to introduce 12 “Duronto” (superfast) trains which will offer non-stop, point-to-point services between various major cities. However, pricing for this scheme has not been decided so far.
Banerjee also announced a scheme called ‘Izzat’, under which travellers with a monthly income not exceeding Rs 1,500 in the unorganised sector will be entitled for Rs 25 monthly pass for travel up to 100 km. “Every person wants to live in dignity. The journey of life also begins with dignity. Rail journey is also like the journey of life. I want that every person should travel on our railways with dignity. I wish to announce the gift of travel with dignity to even the poorest of the poor. I, therefore, announce the new scheme called Izzat,” Banerjee announced in the Lok Sabha.
Among her other offerings, the railway minister announced that “yuva trains” will be introduced between cities to allow youth and lower-income groups travel at lower rates. The air-conditioned trains will run point-to-point from 1,000 to 2,500 kilometres. The fare would be Rs 299 for distances up to 1,500 kilometres and Rs 399 for distances up to 2,500 kilometres. To begin with, a weekly service between Mumbai and Delhi and another from Delhi to Kolkata will be started in three months.
There are other freebies on offer. Concession given to journalists have also been been increased to 50 per cent from 30 per cent and now even their spouses will also get a 50 per cent discount once a year. Free monthly season tickets for second-class travel for school students will be extended to those attending madrasas, high madrasas and senior madrasas. The students will also get a concession of around 60 per cent on the Metro fare in Kolkata.
Banerjee has also reduced the period of advance booking on the tatkal scheme from five days to two days. Also, to ensure that the financial burden on the passenger is reduced she has done two things — tatkal tickets will be made available destination-wise instead of from end to end. Two, tatkal charges will now be levied as a percentage of the fare subject to a minimum of Rs 100, instead of the current Rs 150, for sleeper-class tickets.
Analysts and former Railway Board officials are, however, sceptical about the freebies offered. “It is a realistic and a good Budget. But I would say that these announcements for the poor are good but finances for the same should come from the government side and not railways,” said former Railway Board chairman IIMS Rana.
“The ‘Izzat’ is a good scheme but implementation of the same may be a problem,” said VK Agarwal, another former chairman of the Board.
While presenting the Interim Railway Budget for 2009-10, the then railway minister Lalu Prasad had announced an across-the-board 2 per cent cut in fares of ordinary and AC classes.
Prasad had also announced reduction in the fares of ordinary passenger trains by Re 1 for fares costing up to Rs 50 for journey above 10 km.
Lalu, during his first four years, had reduced the fares of the AC first class by 28 per cent and AC II-tier by 20 per cent.
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