New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it is willing in principle to introduce a policy offering railway fare concessions to acid attack survivors travelling to cities for regular treatment at specialised hospitals.
The apex court asked the Centre to consider the issue of granting travel concessions to acid attack survivors “liberally”, reported PTI.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of the submissions of Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave, appearing for the Ministry of Railways. The SC asked Dave to file the draft policy on record within six weeks.
The law officer told the top court that a meeting has been held and it has been decided in principle that the acid attack survivors can be given railway concessions. she even submitted the Centre proposes to extend the benefit under the “patient category”, as it has reservations about placing acid attack survivors in a separate category among persons with disabilities.
“I can inform that they will put the acid attack victims in the patient category… because they have some reservations about putting them under the disabled category as others in that disabled category are not given railway concessions,” she added, as quoted by PTI.
“Putting them in the disabled category, that has now been statutorily resolved, with the amendment through another petition before us,” the said.
The law officer explained that the Centre was considering classifying acid attack survivors as patients for the purpose of granting railway concessions, rather than extending the benefit under the broader disability category.
“They are in the disabled category, but we will give them concession under the patient category because they require it for the purpose of going to the doctor and for their treatment. We are still deliberating, but under the disabled category, because we are not giving this concession to all disabled persons, then the other categories would also come and say that the concession should be given to them as well,” the law officer said. She further clarified that the Railways will not be able to differentiate amongst each disabled person.
“We will give them, but under the patient category. How and how it would be given, those modalities, I would seek some time,” Dave said.
The CJI said that the relief should be given in a time-bound manner.
On July 16, the bench had sought the views of the Centre on the plea seeking concessional air-conditioned class rail fare for acid attack survivors to enable them to travel to well-equipped hospitals in cities for treatment.