Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao on Friday lamented the Railways' decision to permanently scrap the senior citizens' concession on train fares.
Taking to social media, KTR urged Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw to "review" the decision.
"Dear @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji, Taking care of our elderly people is not just a responsibility but our duty. Was saddened to read that Govt of India has decided to remove the senior citizen concession in train fares. Request you to review the decision & take a compassionate view," KTR wrote on Twitter.
The Railway Ministry on Wednesday told the Parliament that it had no intention of bringing back the train fare concession for senior citizens after withdrawing it in March, 2020. The 40 per cent discount on train fares for senior citizens was stopped owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, Mr Vaishnaw told the Parliament that concessions to "four categories of persons with disabilities, 11 categories of patients, and students" will be continued "in spite of challenges" but restoring the concession to senior citizens is "not desirable".
"The Railways has forgone ~CHECK~ 4,794 crore as revenue... during 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 for both reserved and unreserved categories," Mr Vaishnaw said.
"Apart from this, due to COVID-19, passenger earnings for the last two years is less in comparison to 2019-20. These have long-term impact on the financial health of the railways. Cost of granting concessions weighs heavily on the railways, hence extending scope of concessions to all categories of passengers, including senior citizens, is not desirable," he added.
Despite the Railways incurring losses, Members of Parliament (MPs) and ex-MPs continue to enjoy free or discounted train tickets.
Amid Row Over Lesser Seats, Railways Add 92 General Coaches In 46 Trains Railways To Roll Out Another 10,000 Non-AC Coaches For Common Man Video Shows Water Leaking From Roof Of Vande Bharat Train, Railways Responds Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage Puja Khedkar's Father Was Suspended Twice On Extortion Complaints "NEET-UG Re-Test Only If Sanctity Lost On Large Scale": Supreme Court "Former Weight Of 120 Kg": Doctor Shares How Weight Loss Changed Her Life Experts Develop Breakthrough Anti-Ageing Drug That Extends Lifespan by 25% Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.