RBE No. 54/2008: Complimentary Card Passes – To Chakra Awardees – Validity

No.E(W)2008/PS 5-6/8, dated 09.04.2008  

Sub: Complimentary Card Passes issued to Defence Personnel recipients of Ashok Chakra – validity in Rajdhani/ Shatabdi/ Jan Shatabdi Express trains. 

Ref: Railway Board’s letters No.E(W)96/PS5-6/22, dated 23.02.1996 (RBE No. 17/1996), and 04.07.1996 (RBE No. 54/1996), No.E(W)2002/PS5-6/99, dated 25.02.2003 (RBE No. 37/2003), and No.E(W)2004/PS5-6/55, dated 06.10.2004.

1.     Instructions were issued vide Railway Board’s letters dated 23.02.1996 (RBE No. 17/1996) and 04.07.1996 (RBE No. 54/1996) referred to above, for grant of First Class/ 2^nd AC Complimentary Card Passes to Defence personnel recipients of Gallantry awards of Chakra Series and widows of posthumous Gallantry awardees of Chakra Series viz., Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shourya Chakra, along with a companion, available for travel from any Railway Station to any Railway Station on Indian Railways (except Metro Railway/ Kolkata) by any train except Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains. Subsequently, in terms of instructions contained in Board’s letter dated 25.02.2003 (RBE No. 37/2003), the Complimentary Card Passes issued to recipients and widows of posthumous awardees of Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra were made valid for travel in AC 2 tier/ AC 3 tier of Rajdhani Express and Chair Car (CC) of Shatabdi/ Jan Shatabdi Express trains. As a further decision, as conveyed under Board’s letter dated 06.10.2004, the facility of Complimentary Card Pass was extended to widows of the recipient of Gallantry award on the death of the awardees.

2.     Ministry of Railways have now decided to extend the facility of travel by Rajdhani/ Shatabdi/ Jan Shatabdi trains to recipients of Ashok Chakra, as is available to recipients of Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra. Accordingly, Defence personnel recipients of Ashok Chakra, their widows and widows of posthumous awardees of Ashok Chakra, as stated above, shall henceforth be issued 1^st Class/ 2^nd AC Complimentary Card Pass valid for travel in 2^nd AC/ 3^rd AC of Rajdhani Express and Chair Car (CC) of Shatabdi/ Jan Shatabdi Express trains, along with a companion in same class. It has been accordingly decided that the Card Passes presently issued to Ashok Chakra awardees should be withdrawn and they may now be issued Complimentary Card Pass meant for recipients of Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra (i.e. Orange Cover hard bound Card Pass with three Golden Stripes across the face of the Card Pass below the national emblem) with following stamped on the inside of the Card Pass:-

“Category – Ashok Chakra”.

3.     The existing Card pass being issued to Ashok Chakra awardees (i.e. Card Pass common for Ashok Chakra/ Kirti Chakra/ Shourya Chakra) shall  now onwards be used only for recipients of Kirti Chakra and Shourya Chakra and following should be stamped on inside of these passes for the time being till new set of Card Passes get printed:-

“Excluding Ashok Chakra awardees”.

4.     Other conditions governing issue of Complimentary Card Passes to recipients of Gallantry awards shall remain same.

5.     This issues with the concurrence of Finance Directorate of Ministry of Railways.

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No. 54/2008

Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.