The middle class and elders have a lot of expectation from Budget 2025.One of the recent updates about the budget mentions that: huge subsidy is bound to come while traveling on railway for senior citizens. Consequently, there is a huge facilitation for senior citizens and it is most certainly going to be easier for the senior citizens to travel in the trains. Let us give in full particulars to what extent senior citizens will benefit in terms of rail fare discounts.
Railway fares have been given until now.
Until 2019, there used to be a bumper discount to senior citizens given by Indian Railways on the tickets of trains that include Mail, Express, Rajdhani, Shatadbi, and Duronto. In this, it was provided that men over 60 years of age if boarded and climb aboard the train, they get a ticket at 40 percent off from its full value cost, and women get one at 50 percent.
Like the First AC ticket price on board the Rajdhani Express was Rs 5,000 for the primary class with 40 percent discount for senior citizens of 60 years or above the cost only for Rs 2,500 or 50 percent for 58 years old and above=Rs 2,800. Shall we say, hope this particularly clarifies things to some unknown extent?
Facilities stopped after Covid
With the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, this was withdrawn by the government of India, after which it might have ended, but this has not been re-started till date. Senior citizens are of the view that post-retirement, they have minimal sources of income. Any increment in their fares would torment them in every possible way. This is why the elderly think that discounts ought to return, so this fare, at least on this front, may stop oppressing the elderly.
Expectations from Budget 2025
Central Government plans to present The Union Budget of 2025 on 1 February 2025. The budget speech will almost certainly be given by Nirmala Sitharaman herself. Senior citizens expect that the government shall have to incorporate this into the budget in their favor.
This will be the saving grace for thousands of senior citizens and it will also make them more affordable to travel. Now, it will be interesting to see how far Finance Minister fulfills what is expected from senior citizens.