Railways gouge money from taxpayers’ pocket even if MPs don’t travel on reserved ticket

Of the many perquisites given to Members of Parliaments (MPs), air, rail and road travel is one of them. Now consider this: “every member has been given the facility of 32 air journeys during a year to be availed of during session/ inter-session period with the spouse or any number of companions or relatives. The spouse/ companion of a member may travel alone by air eight time to meet the member out of the 32 air journeys available to a member in a year.”

Now, with 32 free air rides at the expense of taxpayers’ money, would you think these netas would regularly travel by rail for which they are provided first class berth? Yet, most of the year, most of the 1st class quota in most of the trains, across India, reserved for MP quota, is consumed, apparently by these VIPs. Many a time, the MP reserves the berth; does not travel and yet; does not cancel his or her (free) ticket. Irrespective of this, the Railway Board sends the expenditure to the Parliament Administration, which blindly pays for it.

It took Right to Information (RTI) activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal’s for the Central Information Commission (CIC) to direct the Railway Board to probe into this irregularities and corruption, after he appealed to it as was denied information by the public information officer (PIO) and sought intervention of the Commission.

Mr Agarwal’s RTI application sought information on various aspects of such priority reservation for MPs such as:

Complete information on rules providing priority-reservation in railways for present/ former Parliamentarians and their families who are entitled for free rail-travel at cost of railways or any other public-authority

Complete information on priority-reservation for any other category of rail-passengers entitled for free rail-travel at cost of railways or any other public-authority other than Parliamentarians

Is it true that many Parliamentarians (and others entitled for priority-reservation and free rail-travel) do not travel on reserved rail-accommodations without informing Indian Railways?

Complete information on Parliamentarians (and others entitled for priority-reservation and free rail-travel) not travelling on reserved rail-accommodations in last five years without informing Indian Railways separately for each year mentioning differently for Parliamentarians and non-Parliamentarians giving number of such cases for each of the rail-class

Complete information on loss occurred to railways or any other public-authority in respect of Parliamentarians (and others entitled for priority-reservation and free rail-travel) not travelling on reserved rail-accommodations in last five years without informing Indian Railways separately for each year

Complete information on steps taken to recover cost of unutilised rail-reservation from Parliamentarians (and others entitled for priority-reservation and free rail-travel) who do not travel on reserved accommodations without informing Indian Railways

Complete information on utilisation of unutilised reserved-accommodations by Parliamentarians (and others entitled for priority-reservation and free rail-travel) who do not travel on reserved accommodations without informing Indian Railways

Complete information on steps taken to inform concerned authorities about Parliamentarians entitled for priority-reservation and free rail-travel not utilising reserved rail-accommodation without informing Union Railway Ministry

Complete information on steps taken to abolish priority-reservation (VIP quota) in Indian Railways revealing also present percentage of seats/berths in each class reserved for VIP quota in Shatabdi, Rajdhani and Duranto trains

Are priority-reservation and/or VIP-quota also applicable in ‘Anubhuti-class’?

Is facility of free rail-travel at cost of railways or any other public-authority also available in ‘Anubhuti-class’ for Parliamentarians and/or others entitled for free rail-travel?

Is Union Railway Ministry aware of black-marketing of rail-reservation caused by sudden cancellation by Parliamentarians (and others entitled for priority-reservation and free rail-travel)

Complete information on steps taken to check black-marketing of rail-reservation caused by sudden cancellation by Parliamentarians (and others entitled for priority-reservation and free rail-travel)

File-notings on movement of this RTI petition

The CIC, in its decision (appeal-number CIC/VS/A/2014/001250/BJ) on 6 July 2016, has recommended to the Railway Board to take steps to remove any malpractices existing in process of ticket booking and cancellation by the MPs and to ensure that the larger public interest is kept in mind. The CIC also directed the Board Chairman to consider institutionalising a mechanism so that the public is not put to any inconvenience by denial of first class reservation.

However, it has asked the PIO to curiously only give a reply on the question “Complete information on priority-reservation for any other category of rail-passengers entitled for free rail-travel at cost of railways or any other public-authority other than Parliamentarians’’ which is far less in importance than other questions.

It was during the CIC hearing that the malpractices came to light. Agrawal says, “Presently, booking is always shown full especially in first-class air-conditioned coaches because Parliamentarians usually make prior multiple reservations without caring to cancel these in case of non-travel. Officials of Railways, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha secretariats also admitted that payment for reserved rail berths of Parliamentarians was made from public-exchequer even in cases of Parliamentarians not actually travelling.

Agrawal says it is something akin to the fake airfare scam termed as leave travel concession (LTC) scam. Elaborating more on the CIC-hearing, he says, “The railway officials made a shocking revelation of some mischievous elements make multiple bookings in the name of Parliamentarians at times even without the direct knowledge of concerned Parliamentarians, reminding of infamous LTC scam involving the air facility provided to Parliamentarians. Railway Board must incorporate proper system ensuring that only the Parliamentarians may be able to make online railway reservations so as to avoid mischievous elements making multiple or fraud bookings in the name of MPs.”

Agrawal has made the following recommendation during his submission at the CIC hearing: “Railway Board should adopt a system whereby a travelling Parliamentarian may be required to submit his/ her identity proof apart from filling a form confirming his/ her actual travel at the reserved accommodation. These forms may be submitted to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats while claiming reimbursement. A copy of such a travel-certificate may also be provided to travelling Parliamentarians for their submitting directly to Lok Sabha/ Rajya Sabha Secretariats, in case of need when railway authorities may somehow not be able to send these to Lok Sabha/ Rajya Sabha Secretariats. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats may be required to deduct cost of amounts paid to railway authorities from pay/ pensions of concern parliamentarian(s), and ex-parliamentarian(s) for their not travelling on reserved accommodations. Such a system can only make Parliamentarians feel responsibility for cancelling rail-reservations in case of change in travel-plan.”

Rail Travel Facilities Every member is provided with—

(a) One free non-transferable first class air-conditioned or executive class of any train pass which entitled him to travel at any time by any railway in India;

(b) One free non-transferable air-conditioned two-tier railway pass for one person to accompany the member when he travels by rail; The spouse of every member is entitled to-

(a) One free non-transferable railway pass to travel in first class air conditioned or executive class in any train, and if travelled by air, an amount equal to the air fare, from the usual place of residence of a member to Delhi and back once during every session and twice in Budget Session but not exceeding eight single journeys in a year. The spouse can travel from the usual place of residence of the member to Delhi at any time after the issue of Summons and can return back any day before the commencement of the next session.

(b) The spouse is also entitled to travel in first class air conditioned or executive class in all the trains with the Member from any place in India to any other place in India. A member having no spouse is entitled to accompany with any other person in lieu of spouse in any train in first class AC or executive class from any place in India to any other place in India in addition to the facility available to him in respect of one companion in AC-II tier. The spouse of the Member is allowed road mileage for the journey or part thereof performed by road, if unaccompanied by the Member. Where during any part of a year the usual place of residence is inaccessible by rail, steamer or road, due to climatic conditions and where air service is available, a member is entitled to travel by air to and from his usual place of residence upto the nearest airport outside his constituency having rail service.

Steamer Pass

Every member representing the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep Islands is provided with one free non-transferable pass to travel in the highest class of Steamer (excluding diet charges) to and from any part of his constituency and any other part of his constituency or the nearest port in the mainland of India. Such pass is valid for the term of his/her office and on the expiration of the term, the pass is required to be surrendered to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Members representing these Islands can also use the pass before taking their seat in the House, to utilise the same for the purpose of attending a session of the House for taking his/her seat therein.