Lok Sabha Question No. 503 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-20
Subject: Confirmation of Tickets on MP Quota
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Upendra Singh Rawat, Kaushal Kishore

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 503 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.11.2019

## CONFIRMATION OF TICKETS ON MP QUOTA

†503. SHRI UPENDRA SINGH RAWAT: SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that the wait listed tickets of the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar bound trains on the occasion of Holi, Dussehra, Diwali  and  Chhath  Parv,  are  not  being  confirmed  on  the  request  of Hon'ble MPs due to which they have to feel ashamed in front of their relatives;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  reasons  therefor  and  the rules regarding ticket confirmation under VIP quota for all the MPs;
- (c)  whether  there  is  any  scheme  to  ensure  that  the  over  increasing number  of  passengers  get  to  their  destinations  even  after  running special trains during festive seasons; and
- (d) whether there is a proposal in this regard to add additional general and sleeper class bogeys in all the trains for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar?

## ANSWER

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

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

******

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  503  BY  SHRI  UPENDRA  SINGH  RAWAT  AND  SHRI  KAUSHAL KISHORE  TO  BE  ANSWERD  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  20.11.2019  REGARDING CONFIRMATION OF TICKETS ON MP QUOTA

(a)  &  (b):  The  demand  for  reserved  accommodation  on  Indian  Railways  is  not uniform  throughout  the  year  and  varies  from  time  to  time  as  well  as  train  to train.    During  peak  rush  period,  the  demand  outstrips  the  availability  whereas during the lean period the accommodation is generally available in most of the trains. During peak rush periods, such as Holi, summer vacations, Pooja/Dussehra holidays, Diwali/Chhath, winter vacations, etc., the accommodation in important/popular trains gets exhausted within a short time.

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. This quota is released by the staff in accordance with the priority as per 'warrant of precedence' and well established practice being followed since long.    At  the  time  of  allotment  of  accommodation,  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  that  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 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.

(c)  &  (d):  With  a  view  to  meet  the  additional  demand  including  that  from  the States of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Railways take various measures from time to time some of which are listed below:-

- i. Waiting  list  position  of  trains  including  those  passing  through  the States of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is monitored on regular basis and wherever feasible as well as required, load of the trains is augmented, special trains are run, new trains are introduced subject to operational feasibility, commercial justification, etc.
- ii. To facilitate those passengers who have to undertake journey at short notice and to save such passengers from the clutches of unscrupulous elements, facility of Tatkal scheme of reservation is there in which the accommodation becomes available for booking on the previous day of journey from train originating station.
- iii. Further, with a view to provide confirmed accommodation to waiting list passengers and to ensure optimal utilisation of available accommodation,  Alternate  Train  Accommodation  Scheme  known  as 'VIKALP'  has  been  introduced.  For  availing  this  facility,  waiting  list passenger  has  to  give  an  option  at  the  time  of  booking  of  ticket  & passengers with waiting list status at the time of preparation of first reservation charts are shifted to other trains, subject to availability of vacant accommodation.

Taking  such  measures  to  facilitate  passengers  in  getting  confirmed reserved accommodation is a continuous and ongoing measure.

*****