Chandigarh, May 15
It is not only members of the Rashtriya Janta Dal, who are often accused of travelling in trains without ticket, a senior member of the Punjab Council of Ministers, Mr Jagjeet Singh, too, found himself in a piquant situation early this month in New Delhi-Chandigarh Shatabdi Express when he was charged for travelling without ticket.
Accompanied by Mr Surinder Singla, another senior member of the Punjab Council of Ministers and former Member of Parliament, Mr Jagjeet Singh wanted upgradation to Executive Class from air-conditioned chair car (2AC) without realising that his reservation was “illegal”.
Since Mr Singla had availed himself of permitted free two berths — for himself and his wife — in 2AC in Shatabadi Express, the supervisory staff of the train held that no third person could travel on the free travel pass. Incidentally, the former MP and his wife had paid the difference in fare — between 2AC and I ACC (Executive Class) — for getting their free seats upgraded to executive class.
But Mr Jagjeet Singh, who insisted on travelling in the original 2AC reservation made against the free travel pass of his former MP colleague, found himself in an embarrassing situation. He was not only charged for travelling without ticket but also had to shell out Rs 1760 (Rs 880 as actual fare and Rs 880 as penalty for travelling without ticket in executive class).
There have been instances when former MPs, who are rich and influential, continue to use their free travel passes even for their business, trade and other activities.
According to rules, a Member of Parliament and his spouse are entitled to travel in I ACC of Rajdhani or Shatbadi Express besides all express mail trains. They are allowed another attendant in 2AC or chair car in the same train. Those MPs, who are single, are allowed companion in lieu of spouse after an endorsement has been made in their free rail travel pass.
But in case of former MPs, the facility is limited to only spouse or one companion and that too in 2AC or chair car. If former MPs travel alone, they are entitled to travel in I ACC also.
This provision for free travel for spouse and companion, allege sources in Northern Railway, is often misused as the supervisory staff of the train invariably avoid checking identity/ travel cards of MPs and former MPs.
There have been numerous instances when the train supervisory members were threatened for demanding identity/travel card of MPs and former MPs. Some
years ago, during peak summer season, a special train was run for MPs and their families from Kalka to Shimla and back for their cricket match at Chail. The then Union Minister of State for Railways was heading the party.Investigations reveal that many MPs and former MPs have been found to be carrying illegal passengers with them during their leisure and official travel. When caught, the illegal passengers are charged fares of the lowest class and not the class in which they are found to be travelling. And in none of the cases, they have been tried under Sections 137 and 138 of the Indian Railways Act.
In one case, an Akali MP was charged penalty fare as he was carrying with him a friend (in place of his spouse) and a gunman of the Punjab police unauthorisedly with him in Shatbadi Express. In yet another case, a woman MP from Bihar was found travelling in I ACC of Guwahati Express with her husband, mother and family friend in a four-berth cabin. Her entitlement was two berths in I ACC and one berth for companion in 2 ACC.
Only yesterday, train movement was severely affected in Uttar Pradesh after the Additional Divisional Manager, Allahabad, had been suspended for carrying out checking in an AC first class coach in which some RJD MPs were travelling. The inspection was conducted last month.
