Financial And Other Reasons Bars Free Travel To CRPF Gallantry Awardees

In what would come as a blow to CRPF gallantry awardees, the Ministry of Railways has refuted a proposal to allow free travel facilities in its premiere trains – Rajdhani and Shatabdi.

This is a change from its earlier stance wherein it allowed free travel in executive class once a year.

The railway ministry, in its defence, has cited financial and other reasons for rejecting this proposal.

The CRPF, Central Reserve Police Force, is a federal police force under the authority of the MHA, Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India. 

It is one of the Central Armed Police Forces, and its leading role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and counter-insurgency. 

It is composed of Central Reserve Police Force (Regular) and Central Reserve Police Force.

The proposal floated by the Ministry of Home Affairs, MHA was turned down by the Ministry Of Railways to allow complimentary passes, free travel facilities in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains for Presidents Police Medal for Gallantry, PPMG and Police Medal for Gallantry, PMG awardees as well as the widows of gallantry awards recipients. 

The Central Reserve Police Force, CRPF presented the proposal, which the MHA took up with the Railway Ministry. However, in its reply, the railway board did not agree to the proposal, citing financial and other reasons.

As per the recent information circulated by CRPF, at its behest, the MHA had proposed an extension of the facility to travel in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains to the recipients of PMG/PPMG with the government of India and the Ministry of the Railway.

The issue of booking complimentary passes and tickets and extending the facility to travel in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains to the recipients of PPNG/PMG through the Indian Railway catering and tourism corporation IRCTC ticketing website was taken up by the director general Of CRPF.

Through a slew of communications which in turn sent the proposal to the railway minister, the railway ministry communicated to the IRCTC requesting to examine the request in consultation with the centre for railway information systems, CRIS and the Ministry of Home Affairs, MHA, and send a detailed proposal on this.

The railway board said – the proposal to extend travel by Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains to police medals for gallantry PMG/President’s police medal for gallantry, PPNG has been examined several times by this Ministry. Still, the same has not been agreed to by the competent authority due to financial in other reasons.

The sources in the police establishment said that granting complimentary tickets to the PPNGP And PMG awardees and the widows of the winner of the gallantry awards in executive class in Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains was in practice for several years. But later, it was withdrawn by the railway ministry.

According to sources from the Ministry of Railways, The facility was discontinued during COVID times and cannot be allowed yet due to some financial and other reasons in premium class trains.