The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Bench issues notice to Railway Board on revised tatkal system

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 18, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Bench issues notice to Railway Board on revised tatkal system

Staff Reporter

Petitioner terms fare structure `unfair and anti-consumer'

MADURAI: : The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Saturday issued notice to the Railway Board and Southern Railway on a public interest litigation moved against the revised `tatkal' reservation system.

M. Nizamuddin of Madurai sought to quash an August 20, 2004, order passed by the Board to revise the scheme, implemented since November 14 last.

According to the petitioner, the revised scheme required passengers to pay the fare from the originating station to the destination, even if they were to travel only between intermediate stations. It was "unfair and anti-consumer." Earlier only a nominal premium was collected, he said. As for a dual premium collection system introduced under the revised scheme, he said Rs.150 for sleeper class and chair car and Rs.300 for two-tier and three-tier air-conditioned coaches was collected during the peak season (September 16 to July 15) and Rs.75 for sleeper class and chair car and Rs.200 for air-conditioned coaches during the non-peak season (July 16 to September 15). "The classification of peak and non-peak periods is without any reason. Earlier, only Rs.50 was collected for sleeper class, Rs.150 for AC three-tier and Rs.200 for AC two-tier."

`Discriminatory, arbitrary'

Mr. Nizamuddin said though senior citizens, the physically handicapped and others were not entitled to concession under the `tatkal' system, railway employees holding free passes alone were availing themselves of the benefit. "It was discriminatory and arbitrary."

He feared that the withdrawal of the condition, requiring passengers to produce identity cards at the time of booking tickets and during journey, under the revised scheme would only help `touts' to block tickets.

Counsel for the petitioner, J. Alagu Ram Jothi, said the Board's contention that urgent travel requirements of passengers necessitated the revision of the scheme was not justifiable, since there was an emergency quota system, which did not require any premium charges.

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