(a) the details of the stations in the country that are facilitating Rail Mitra Sewa for elderly people;
(b) whether Rail Mitra Sewa project has not been successful;
(c) if so, the reasons therefor; and
(d) the proposal of the IRCTC to develop old age-friendly services at stations and trains?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)
(a): Wheel Chairs have been provided at all railway stations on Indian Railways for convenience of the passengers requiring assistance viz. physically challenged, ailing and old aged persons. In addition, the facility of Yatri Mitra Sewa has been provided to book wheelchair cum porter services. Yatri Mitra Sewa is being provided through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). Passenger can book e-wheel chairs on line through IRCTC portal www.irctc.co.in. The facility is presently available at 22 stations i.e. Ahmedabad , Agra Cantt., Vadodara, Varanasi, Bhusaval, Vijayawada, Kanpur Central, Mumbai CST, Mumbai Central, Howrah, Indore, Jhansi, Jaipur, Lucknow Junction, Lucknow, New Delhi, Nagpur, Pathankot Cantt., Pune, Bengaluru City, Secunderabad and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra.
The passengers can book cab/ coach and porter service online through IRCTC portal www.irctc.co.in. The facility is presently available at Chandigarh, Gaya, Guntur, Howrah, Jaipur, Lucknow, Lucknow Jn., Madurai, New Delhi, Delhi Junction, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi Safdarjung, Anand Vihar, Delhi Cantt., Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Tirupati and Vijayawada
(b): No, Madam.
(c): Does not arise.
(d): The following services have been provided by IRCTC for enabling passengers viz. differently-abled, ailing and old aged persons to book wheelchair services cum porter services.
(i) IRCTC has provided 26 battery cabs / golf carts to railways at 19 locations under CSR. The stations are New Delhi, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Varanasi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Haridwar, Amritsar, Ambala, Ghazipur, Chandigarh, Ayodhya, Agra, Patna, Rajendra Nagar, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Mugalsarai, Darbhanga and Dhanbad.
(ii) The facility of e-wheel chair is available at 22 stations as mentioned in part (a) of the question.
(iii) The passengers can book cab/ coach and porter service online through IRCTC portal www.irctc.co.in. The facility is available at Chandigarh, Gaya, Guntur, Howrah, Jaipur, Lucknow, Lucknow Jn., Madurai, New Delhi, Delhi Junction, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi Safdarjung, Anand Vihar, Delhi Cant., Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Tirupati and Vijaywada.
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