Hindi panel members angry as free travel passes axed

The railways has cancelled the free unlimited travel passes in trains being availed by 45 members of the Hindi Committee in the ministry of railways, which consist largely of political activists affiliated with the BJP and the RSS.

With the surge in pricing by railways for the premium Rajdhani, Duranto and Shatabdi trains, which met with protest by commuters and the political class, the members of the committee are up in arms against Union railways minister Suresh Prabhu.

The move followed the clarification by the ministry of home affairs that the members of the Hindi Committee of the railways do not have the power of inspections.

The Hindi Committee of the ministry of railways, as per the norms, should consist of journalists or academicians hailing from Hindi language. However, the committee for years has become a place for the rehabilitation of political activists with allegiance to the party in power. The members had been getting passes for unlimited free travels in any trains in all classes. “The members had been travelling for personal reasons to various places, while citing that they had been going for inspections to see whether the railways use the Hindi language in its works or not. The passes allowed them to travel anywhere without any prior approval,” said a senior official of the railways.

However, the railways recently, as per the directions of Mr Prabhu to cut down on revenue slippage, sought a clarification from the MHA whether the members had the power of inspections on their own or not. “The MHA clarified that the members cannot travel for inspections on their own. It was also clarified that the members can travel only to attend meetings of the committee approved by the ministry of railways,” added the official.

Consequently, the members of the Hindi Committee would now onwards be issued travel passes only when there is a scheduled official meeting.

However, the members of the committee are livid at the action of the ministry of railways. “Mr Prabhu is a Rajya Sabha member. He does not need to win elections to become a minister. He has been taking steps that are unpopular as has been the surge pricing of the premium trains. Such actions will cost the BJP dear in the Uttar Pradesh state polls,” said a member of the Hindi Committee.