Thursday, June 23 2005 15:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Government today (Jun 23, 2005) rejected a Railway panel's proposal to discontinue issuance of free travel passes to railway employees, saying it was a "universally recognised privilege."

"The Cabinet did not agree to the Expenditure Reforms Commission's recommendation regarding discontinuation of passes issued to serving or retires railway employees," Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

The Railway Ministry had already refused to accept the commission's proposal, he said. The Cabinet noted that the travel facility extended to railway employees was a matter of service condition and a universally recognised privilege.