Lok Sabha Question No. 1964 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-03
Subject: VIP Reference for Release of HO Quota
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Balubhau (Alias Suresh Narayan) Dhanorkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1964 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.07.2019

## VIP REFERENCE FOR RELEASE OF HO QUOTA

1964. SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESH NARAYAN DHANORKAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  VIP  references  for  release  of  HO  quota  to  the Ministry of Railways/Indian Railways/Zones are not being given priority in recent times;
- (b) if so, the details thereof including number of references received and quota released during the last three years, Zonewise; and
- (c)      whether  complaints/representations  from  VIPs/Members of Parliament have been regularly received against officials of MR cell for deliberate, biased and irregularities in treatment of VIP  references  and  if  so,  the  detail  thereof  and  the  action taken thereon?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1964 BY SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESH  NARAYAN  DHANORKAR  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK SABHA  ON  03.07.2019  REGARDING  VIP  REFERENCE  FOR RELEASE OF HO QUOTA

(a):  In  order  to  meet  the  urgent  travel  requirements  of  High Official Requisition (HOR) holders, which  includes Central Government  Ministers,  Judges  of  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court/High Courts  of  various  States,  Members  of  Parliament  and  other emergent  demands,  who  are  on  the  waiting  list,  a  limited number  of  berths/seats  have  been  earmarked  as  Emergency Quota in different trains and in different classes. The quota is released by the Railways in accordance with the priority as per warrant  of  precedence  and  well  established  practice  being followed since long.  At the time of allotment of berths/seats, emergency  quota  is first allotted for self travel of  HOR holders/Members of Parliament, etc., strictly as per their interse seniority in warrant of precedence. Thereafter, other requisitions received from various quarters including those from Members of Parliament are considered and the remaining quota is  released  taking  into  account  various  factors  like  official status of passengers travelling, nature of urgency like travelling on  government duty, bereavement in the family, sickness, job interview, etc. While the requests received from HOR holders/Hon'ble Members of Parliament for their self travel are complied with, in case of requests forwarded by them for other than self travel, at times, it is not feasible to accommodate all such requests when the demand exceeds the availability.

(b): Since a large number of requests are received from various quarters  at  various  levels  and  are  dealt  with  on  day  to  day basis, details of requests received for release of accommodation out of Emergency Quota including those from HOR holders/Hon'ble Members of Parliament are only preserved as per extant guidelines.

(c):    No,  Sir.  However,  some  instances  of  attempts  to  get accommodation  released  out  of  Emergency  Quota  on  the authority  of  fake  letter  heads  of  high  dignitaries  and  some Railway  Officers  have  come  to  notice.  As  reservation  staff remains  alert  for  such  letters  during  peak  rush  periods,  the genuineness of these letters are checked. When it is confirmed that  these  are  fake,  no  accommodation  is  released  on  such requests and  further  action  like  lodging  of  criminal  case  is taken.

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