Rail passes to be free from IT: Nitish

NEW DELHI: Steps are being taken to exclude free travel passes, concessions and other such facilities to railway employees from income tax net, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said on Tuesday.
Justifying the provision for free train passes and concessional Privilege Ticket Order to railway employees, Kumar said he has already taken up the issue of excluding these from tax net with Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha.
"I have already spoken to the Finance Minister and his response is quite positive. I will try my best to protect the interests of railway employees and something will be done", he said at a national seminar on safety of railway track, role of machines and manpower in track management.
The Minister said railways give travel concessions worth Rs 250 crore every year to different categories of people and "if it gives some facilities to its own employees to motivate them, it is absolutely justified".