Lok Sabha Question No. 3661 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-02
Subject: VIP Reference for Release of HO Quota
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Tejpratap Singh,Yadav, L.R. Shivaramegowda, ANJU BALA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3661 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.01.2019

## VIP REFERENCE FOR RELEASE OF HO QUOTA

3661. SHRI TEJ PRATAP SINGH YADAV: SHRI L.R. SHIVARAME GOWDA: SHRIMATI ANJU BALA:

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, zone-wise;
- (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
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon?

## 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.  3661  BY  SHRI  TEJ  PRATAP  SINGH YADAV, SHRI L.R. SHIVARAME GOWDA AND SHRIMATI ANJU BALA TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 02.01.2019 REGARDING VIP REFERENCE FOR RELEASE OF HO QUOTA

(a) to (d):   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  inter-se  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 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.

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.

One complaint was received in the year 2017 from a Hon'ble Member of Parliament for non release of Emergency Quota.  The complaint was duly forwarded to the concerned Zonal Railway for immediate  necessary  action.  Hon'ble  Member  of  Parliament  was also informed accordingly.

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