Rajya Sabha members advised to cancel unutilized train bookings

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has advised members of the Upper House of Parliament to ensure cancellation of unavailed bookings of train journeys they are entitled to, sources said on Friday. A bulletin has been issued to the members after taking cognisance of alleged large-scale multiple bookings for train travels being made by Rajya Sabha members, with the Secretariat required to pay for the journeys not undertaken. As per sources, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat paid Rs 8 crore to the Indian Railways for free travel facitlities availed of by Rajya Sabha members. As the bill for 2019 was higher than usual, the Railways blamed it on serious malpractices by the MPs. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had expressed serious displeasure over this "misuse of public money". With Naidu desiring to know the extent of multiple bookings done by members and their implications, the Secretariat has done an analysis of the number of bookings made and actual journeys undertaken by some sitting and former members. (IANS)

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