The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea filed by MK Balakrishnan seeking the restoration of railway fare concessions for senior citizens that were discontinued in 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The court ruled that the matter falls under state policy, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for the court to issue a direction to the government. ‘It is for the government to take a call on the issue keeping in mind the needs of the senior citizens and the fiscal repercussions,’ the bench said. The petitioner argued that the state has an obligation to grant concessions to the elderly, but the court rejected the claim.
The Centre had discontinued the concessions granted to senior citizens in 2020 to discourage the movement of people to stem the spread of COVID-19. However, a parliamentary standing committee recently recommended the resumption of the concessions granted to senior citizens before the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, the Indian Railways used to offer a 40 per cent discount in fares to males aged 60 years or more and 50 per cent to females over the age of 58 years.
Post Your Comments