Misuse of free rail-travel with one companion by entitled ones
There are reports that certain persons entitled for free rail-pass with a companion like even aged freedom-fighters misuse facility of taking one companion along with them free in railway-trains.
They reserve berths for two including themselves, and then sell free rail-pass of the companion to other at some discounted price.
Railway Board should devise mechanism to prevent such misuse. It can be made compulsory to submit ID proofs of the entitled one and the accompanying companion with signatures while getting free rail-passes. Original ID proofs by both the entitled one and the accompanying companion should be made compulsory to be carried while travelling along with another set of photo-copies which should be got signed before the Train-Ticket-Examiner TTE while checking the rail-pass during the journey. Facility of free-rail-pass should be withdrawn immediately if being found being misused.
Parliamentarians should be reimbursed for rail-travel only on submitting proof of actual rail-travel verified by the TTEs to avoid multiple reservations in different trains for a single journey. Cost of un-availed reserved rail-berths or seats should be deducted from their salaries or pensions of Parliamentarians. Free entitlement of rail-travel including for Parliamentarians and those travelling at government-expense including for those in public-sector-undertakings should only be for two-tier air-conditioned rail-travel rather than for first-class air-conditioned class or above.
SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL
