Title - Railways seek three more weeks to file reply - Times Of India

NAGPUR: The ministry of railways (MoR) has sought three more weeks to file a reply on public interest litigation (PIL) demanding refund of fare to passengers who travelled in high capacity coaches (side middle berths) but were not given discount in fares as announced by the railway minister.

The PIL filed on March 27 by Avinash Vinayak Prabhune, RTI activist and a resident of Pratap Nagar, has 16 respondents. On Friday, when the matter came up for hearing before the bench of justices PV Hardas and ML Tahaliyani, the railways sought three weeks' time to file a reply. The court had asked the railways to file reply in two weeks.

Earlier, the matter was heard on March 27. The court had directed notices returnable on April 10. The notices were delivered by April 3. Even after two months, the railways did not file a reply. Now the court has granted time up to July 6. The then railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on February 26, 2008, had announced a 6% discount in fare for passengers travelling in high capacity coaches in which berths were extended from 72 to 81.

The decision came into force from April 1, 2008. However, despite a Railway Board circular to this effect, discount was not paid to passengers. TOI was first to report the matter in 2009. RTI information sought by Prabhune in 2009 revealed that 6,000 coaches were converted into high capacity coaches in 16 zones. Railways failed to provide discount to around 60.87 lakh passengers in three zones - South Central Railway (SCR), North Frontier Railway (NFR) and Northern Railway (NR). Other zones did not furnish information.

The petitioner wants that the railways be directed to deposit the discount amount in 'Prime Minister Relief Fund' and take action against officials for not implementing budget commitment.