The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Fake medical certificates worry Railways

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 10, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Fake medical certificates worry Railways

By S. Vijay Kumar

MADURAI, JUNE 9. The multicrore fake medical certificate scam unearthed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in Tamil Nadu is now cause for serious concern to the Railways following detection of "large-scale misuse of travel concessions" by a section of passengers.

With Western Railway authorities in Mumbai detecting several fake medical certificates issued by senior medical officers attached to government hospitals in Madurai and Chennai, the Railway Board has sent a circular to all computerised reservation centres not to honour the concessions certified by these doctors.

Efforts are now on to verify the genuineness of the certificates used by physically-challenged persons, along with escorts, for claiming travel concessions. "Fake medical certificates are widely in circulation, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. A major chunk of the doubtful certificates have been issued by some doctors in Madurai, Chennai and Bangalore," a railway official told The Hindu today.

It has become a habit for a few government doctors to issue fake certificates, charging between Rs. 500 and 1,000. These certificates are used by "healthy" or "partially" handicapped persons to travel along with an "escort" long distances in upper class coaches frequently. The concession for physically disabled persons and their escorts is up to 75 per cent in first class, three-tier AC and sleeper class and 50 per cent in first class AC and two-tier AC. The same concessions are given to visually impaired persons, heart and cancer patients undertaking travel for surgery/treatment.

In the Madurai division alone, at least 7,500 concession tickets are issued to physically-challenged persons every month. "The number could be in thousands at the zonal level. Even if there is a 10 per cent misuse, the money will run to several crores a year," the official pointed out.

While enquiry-cum-reservation clerks said they were under instructions not to reject concession claims on flimsy grounds, travelling ticket inspectors argued they had no authority to check the veracity of medical certificates.

"The only requirement is a certificate issued by a government doctor certifying the nature and extent of physical disability. We can neither check the genuineness of the certificate nor raise doubts over the physical fitness of the passenger. In fact, the ticket can also be purchased by a representative on behalf of the passenger by producing the medical certificate," said a booking clerk.

When attempts are made to verify suspicious certificates either at reservation counters or aboard train, the "beneficiaries" complain of harassment and send petitions to the grievances cell.

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