Indian Railways and Concessions:

Indian Railways is the backbone of our economy and most versatile mode of transportation in India. It serves 30 million passengers daily which is equivalent to the population of Australia. There are many trains and classes for the passengers to travel like Chair car, sleeper class, AC classes, and general compartments where unreserved population travel in large number.

Daily ridership of 30 million passengers who travel via Indian railways is classified into many categories.

Students: They are the students studying in high school, senior secondary school, and colleges. They can travel for any purpose via trains like appearing in any Government entrance examination, to attend camps/seminars organised by Govt. of India, journey in connection with any research work, and unemployed youth going to attend any interview.

Youths: The youth would cover people above 18 years of age traveling in train. There is no concession given by the Railways except in few situations like any unemployed youth traveling to attend an interview of Central/ State Govt. offices, Statutory Bodies, Municipal Corporation, Government Under-taking, University or Public Sector Body.

Senior citizens: There are many senior citizens who travel via trains on a concessional rate. Railways consider men above 60 years of age and women over 50 years of age as a senior citizen and provide concession on their travel.

Disabled passengers: There are many passengers who are disabled. There is a separate compartment and concessions available as per the disability. The concession ranges from 50% to 75%.

Medical professionals: Indian Railways provide concessions to doctors traveling for any purpose. Also, there are special concessions for nurses and midwives traveling for their leave or duty.

Railway Travel facilities and Concessions provided to the Member of Parliament:

The Members of Parliament are provided rail travel facilities as per provisions of “The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954” as amended from time to time. Government has notified “The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament [Amendment] Act, 2010 in terms of Gazette Notification so as to revise the entitlements of Members of Parliament. Accordingly, revised entitlements of rail travel admissible as on date to Member of Parliament are as indicated below:

Member of Parliament is granted a free travel in First Class Air-Conditioned or Executive Class in any train with the spouse, if any, from one location of India to other.

Free Air-Conditioned two-tier accommodation for one person to accompany the Member.

A Member having no spouse has been allowed to take one person with him in place of spouse in AC-Ist Class/Executive Class in rail journey along with the companion already allowed in AC-2 tier.

The spouse of a Member of Parliament shall be entitled to travel by railway in First Class Air-Conditioned or Executive Class in any train from the usual place to residence of the Member to Delhi and back any number of times. When Parliament is in session such journey by the spouse from usual place of residence of Member to Delhi and back may be partly by air and partly by rail subject to the condition that number of journeys by air shall not exceed eight in a year.

A Member who is blind or who is, in the opinion of the Chairman of the Council of States or, as the case may be, the Speaker of the House of the People, so incapacitated physically as to require the facility of an attendant shall be allowed to take an attendant with him in same class of rail journey in which he himself travels in lieu of the companion earlier allowed in AC-2 tier. This will be in addition to the spouse already allowed to accompany such Member in the AC-Ist Class/Executive Class of rail journey.

In simple words:

Any Parliament member on his ID card issued by the government of India can travel in first class AC compartment or executive class of any train. The Identity card entitles the member to travel with a companion either spouse or any member of the family. The other member can travel in two tier air condition class. One non-transferable pass is issued to the family member or to the spouse who is traveling with member. This pass entitles the accompanying partner to travel with the member in AC 1st class. If the member has no spouse, then the person traveling in lieu of the spouse can travel in AC 1st class along with the member in addition to the facility of a member traveling with the second AC class.

The spouse of the Member of Parliament can travel anytime in AC 1st class. Sometimes, the journey can be partly by air and partly by train. If the member is physically handicapped or blind or in any means need an attendant for his journey, he can travel with an attendant in the same class he/she is traveling along with the facility of a companion traveling in AC second class.

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