Rein in your hangers-on, Railways tells `netajis'

new delhi: ever been harassed by hangers-on who take the train with their netaji and make life miserable for other passengers? or asked to climb off your reserved berth because an mp and his entourage have landed up at the last minute? even the railway board is now complaining. and the lok sabha secretariat has asked mps to do their bit to make things easier for everyone.as an advisory to the mps from the secretariat indicates, the railway board has gone about it in a suitably polite manner. it says the railway authorities were experiencing ``certain difficulties'' in regulating travel for the mps. the board had therefore sought the ``cooperation'' of the members ``so as to make their journey hassle-free and comfortable.'' one of the ``under-mentioned guidelines'' for mps relates to the nuisance of the travelling politician's hangers-on. at times, it says, gunmen, guards and black cat commandos with the mp get into first-class coaches, without carrying the papers authorising their travel. ``sometimes they also occupy berths forcibly by dislodging or causing discomfort to bona fide passengers.'' ``the security personnel or any other person accompanying the members of parliament should have valid authority to travel by train,'' the lok sabha bulletin reminds. the advisory also offers other tips for the travelling mp. no travelling by proxy, for instance. some mps, it seems, issue ``authority letters'' letting others occupy berths booked for them. ``travel by such persons on the berths booked for members is irregular,'' it says. mps have also been asked not to book themselves on a series of trains leaving the same day. this blocks berths for nothing, and fare-paying passengers get turned away. mps should also confirm in writing, within 24 hours, the reservation they make on the phone. mps are not unaware that hangers-on do cause problems. a year back, railway minister mamata banerjee admitted that much when an mp complained about the behaviour of some shiv sena members on the chhattisgarh express. she said ``we politicians'' should exercise restraint and not harass other passengers. the minister herself, however, has been accused once this year for holding up an entire train, because she wanted to catch it. but it is not fair to blame the politicians alone. in march, a vip of another breed, an allahabad high court judge, reportedly held up a train when he found that no berth had been reserved for him on the purushottam express. bihar mp pappu yadav's supporters too make headlines. in october, four girls complained they were harassed by armed men throughout their delhi-calcutta journey on the rajdhani express. the men claimed that the politician was travelling in the adjacent coach. lok sabha mps enjoy free unlimited travel on trains. the spouse and a companion also travel free. but at times, the entourage gets bigger. and in some cases, the others in the party don't bother about technicalities like buying tickets and reserving berths.