The Ministry of
Railways has issued orders directing the Zonal Railways to provide
10 per cent concessions in rail tickets to Allopathic Doctors
with a minimum MBBS qualification in all classes of Mail and
Express trains from March 12, 2003 to render medical assistance
to needy passengers during journey as well as railway accidents.
This follows an
announcement by the Minister of Railways Shri Nitish Kumar on
December 2, 2002 in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on Supplementary
Demand for Grants. Accordingly, the rules contained in Indian
Railway Conference Association (IRCA) Coaching Tariff No. 25,
Part I has been amended to this effect.
The concessional
tickets will be issued directly from the stations or reservation
offices on production of an undertaking in the prescribed proforma
along with a copy each of MBBS degree and Registration Certificate
declaring that the doctor concerned carries with him/her emergency
medical kit.
Concession will
be admissible in basic Mail/Express fares of all classes. In
the case of Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi group of trains,
concession will be admissible in their all-inclusive fares.
Concession will be admissible in single/return tickets
and not in season tickets, circular journey tickets, special
trains or coaches. No concession will be admissible in other
charges like reservation fee and superfast surcharge. Concession
will be available without any minimum distance to travel and
minimum number of doctors in train. The reservation chart will
indicate the berth numbers of doctors provided with concession.
The Conductors/TTEs/TSs will keep a note of coach, seat and
berth number of such doctors and call them to render medical
assistance in case of need. The coach, seat and berth numbers
of doctors will be frequently announced as feasible.
In case some doctors,
travelling on concessional tickets, refuse to render medical
assistance to needy passengers, the Zonal Railway concerned
will, accordingly, inform Indian Medical Association for necessary
action. Besides, anyone claiming false concession, will be levied
penalty applicable under the rules.
The orders, together
with requisite declaration for grant of concession will be kept
at all stations, reservation and booking offices for supply
to doctors, free of cost. This declaration has also been put
in Railway’s website www.indianrailways.in
.
This decision of
the Ministry of Railways is a milestone in the directions of
evolving responsive Railways administration that it is user
friendly and, indeed, caring.
