Lok Sabha Question No. 3795 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-09
Subject: Refund of Cancelled Tickets
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3795 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2017

## REFUND OF CANCELLED TICKETS

†3795.  SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  refund  of  the  cancelled  tickets  reserved  through ATM and credit cards by the railway passengers during demonetization has been made;
- (b)  if  so,  the  number  of  tickets  cancelled  and  refund  paid  during the said period;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the total number of passengers whose refund has not yet been made zone-wise and the time by which their refund is likely to be made?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.3795  BY  SHRI  SANJAY  HARIBHAU JADHAV TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 09.08.2017 REGARDING REFUND OF CANCELLED TICKETS

(a)  to  (d):  During  the  period  09.11.2016  to  31.12.2016,  73,20,951 reserved tickets were cancelled out of tickets booked through Debit, Credit Cards and other cashless modes of payment and an amount of approximately ` 838 crore has been refunded. Subsequent to demonetisation, a surge in the number of booking of reserved tickets across booking counters was noticed.  Consequently, Zonal Railways were  advised  that  the  cancellation  of  such  high  value  tickets  and payment of refund against such cancellation of tickets shall not be allowed in cash across the counter and the payments shall only be made  through  cheque/ECS  (Electronic  Clearing  Service)  through Bank.    This  has  resulted  in  an  extraordinary  situation  of  a  large number of refund cases being registered on Zonal Railways and it has not been possible to dispose of all the refund claims in the 90 days limit  prescribed  for  settlement  of  coaching  refund  claims.    Further, some of the cases are also pending on account of investigation of the refund claims.  The number of such pending refund cases is as under:

| S.No.   | Zonal Railway      |   No. of refund cases pending |
|---------|--------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1.      | Central            |                             2 |
| 2.      | Eastern            |                          3649 |
| 3.      | East Central       |                           432 |
| 4.      | East Coast         |                            10 |
| 5.      | Northern           |                            11 |
| 6.      | North Central      |                            14 |
| 7.      | North Eastern      |                             1 |
| 8.      | Northeast Frontier |                           151 |
| 9.      | North Western      |                            76 |
| 10.     | Southern           |                            15 |
| 11.     | South Central      |                             1 |
| 12.     | South Eastern      |                             4 |
| 13.     | South East Central |                            64 |
| 14.     | South Western      |                             5 |
| 15.     | Western            |                             8 |
| 16.     | West Central       |                            13 |
|         | Total              |                          4456 |

However,  Zonal  Railways  have  been  advised  to  finalise  the coaching refund claims expeditiously.

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