New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Wednesday ruled out the resumption of the travel concession to the senior citizens and journalists that was withdrawn during the Covid-19 regime.
In reply to two supplementaries in the Lok Sabha during the question hour, he insisted that they were already enjoying 55% concession in the form of the subsidies totalling Rs 59,000 crore. He said if the old concession is revived the Railways' other works will suffer. Moreover, he said the Railways was already paying Rs 5,000 crore per annum to the retired employees towards pension and another Rs 90,000 crore as salaries to the staff.
He also told the House that the Railways was spending on redevelopment of major 41 stations. He said a modular system has been developed to carry out the constructions without affecting movement of the trains.
