GRP & RPF must obtain valid permission/ticket for train travel on official duty: Railway Claims Tribunal

Ahmedabad: GRP and RPF personnel must obtain a travel authority or purchase a ticket for train travel and carrying only the ID card is not enough, the Railway Claims Tribunal ruled dismissing the plea for compensation filed by a constable who claimed to be on official duty when he fell off a train.

The Ahmedabad bench of the tribunal also underlined the "negligent attitude of Railway" regarding a circular on issuing duty card passes to Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel required to travel frequently.

GRP constable Rajesh Bagul had moved the tribunal seeking Rs 8 lakh compensation with interest from Railway claiming he was on official duty on the day of the accident.

Bagul went to Surat railway police station for official duty on November 13, 2019. He was returning from Surat to Bharuch on the Surat-Jamnagar intercity train when he fell off at Palej station, causing serious injuries to his left leg, leading to its amputation above the knee, as per his petition.

Tribunal Member (Judicial) Vinay Goel dismissed the petition noting Bagul had failed to provide any valid travel authority to prove his official travel claims.

In the absence of a valid travel authority, the applicant cannot be treated as a bonafide passenger, the bench observed and stressed Railways should follow its circular regarding travel authority to GRP and Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials.

The Railway cited a lack of documentary evidence to support Bagul's claim of being on official duty on the day of the alleged accident. Railways argued Bagul might have fallen while trying to deboard the train after it passed the station where he wanted to alight.

As he was not carrying any ticket or any other travelling authority and suffered from self-inflicted injury, Railway is not liable to pay any compensation, it said.

The tribunal, in its order dated July 30, stated it was a "serious issue" that Railway failed to take proper defence as required in the light of a circular regarding the issuance of duty card passes to GRP personnel who are required to travel frequently.

The negligent attitude of the Railway is not in good taste, it said.

"Nobody can be allowed to travel on the train without proper and valid travel authority. If a person travels without proper travel authority he cannot be treated as a bonafide passenger," the bench said.

"Even if a person is on official duty, he/she is required to obtain proper travel authority from a competent authority or purchase a ticket which enables that person to undertake a journey in a train. Either pass/travel authority or ticket are required for a person on official duty, and an identity card by no stretch of imagination can be considered as travelling authority," it said.

The tribunal stated the order copy be marked to the General Manager, Western Railway, Mumbai for circulation among all stakeholders "to meticulously follow Railway circulars about travel authority to GRP and RPF officials so that such type of incident may be avoided in future".