For Railways, women get 'old' before retirement

New Delhi: The retirement age for a working woman is 60 years, but for Railways, she will become a 'senior citizen' two years before she retires.

Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee, while presenting the Rail Budget 2011-12 in Parliament on Friday, announced that the cut-off age for women to avail the Senior Citizen concession will be 58 years, down 2 years from the previous cut-off age of 60 years.

This means, an in-service woman becomes eligible to avail Senior Citizen concession to travel in Railways, even before she becomes eligible to get superannuation pension. Superannuation pension is meant for those government officials who retire at the age of 60 years.

And not only just tweaking the age, the Railways Minister has also hiked the rate of Senior Citizens concession from 30 per cent to 40 per cent.

Keeping an eye on the forthcoming West Bengal assembly elections, Mamata has announced other populist measures as well.

Special provisions were made for physically challenged people to travel by train and concessions to physically handicapped persons were extended on Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains as well.

The ticket booking charges have been reduced by Rs 10 for AC and Rs 5 for non AC class.

Proposal to set up new railway lines in difficult underprivileged areas was made and indroduction of student special trains was also proposed.