Senior citizens want 50% concession in train travel

Ahead of the Railway Budget for 2012-13, senior citizens in south Orissa’s Ganjam district have urged the Railways minister Dinesh Trivedi to make provision of 50 per cent concession in train travel for them. The Railway Budget will be presented on March 14.

At present, the male senior citizens are availing 40 per cent concession, while their female counterparts are getting concession of 50 per cent in train travel.

“We have urged the Railways minister to make equal concession for both male and female senior citizens,” said president of Ganjam District Retired Government Employees’ Association Arjuna Sahu.

The association had also adopted a resolution in this regard in its meeting held here recently, he said.

“We have despatched the association’s resolution to the Union minister, urging him to make such provisions in the ensuing Railway Budget”, said general secretary of the association Rasa Bihari Das.

The Biju Patnaik Senior Citizens' Forum (BPSCF), an organization of the elderly persons in Berhampur has also adopted a similar resolution in its recent meeting

The Railways would not suffer much loss if the ministry makes provision of 50 per cent concession for all senior citizens in the Railway Budget.

On the other hand, the senior citizens would be benefited, said a resolution by BPSCF.

The association has also urged the minister to set up a separate ticket counter in all major railway stations in the state, including Berhampur for the senior citizens. The old aged persons face many hassles in getting a ticket from the general counter as they have to stand in queues for a long time. Although separate counters for senior citizens are available in several other railway stations, mainly in metros in the country, this facility is not available in any of the stations in Orissa, the forum officials said.