New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Wednesday called for active participation of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in formulating a policy to grant railway travel concessions to acid attack survivors so they can travel to well-equipped hospitals for treatment.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of the submissions that a draft policy has been framed by the Centre in consultation with other stakeholders, including the petitioner, the NGO Atijeevan Society. The bench then posted the matter for further consideration. The apex court asked the Ministry of Railways to consider the issue of granting the concessions liberally. It also asked Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave to file the draft policy on record within six weeks. It asked Dave to take requisite instructions from the ministry on the issue.
On August 13, the Centre told the bench that it has agreed in principle to formulate a policy to grant the concessions to acid attack survivors. On July 16, the bench sought the Centre’s views on a plea seeking concessional air-conditioned class rail fare for acid attack survivors. Dave had earlier said that there are 21 categories of persons with disabilities and the railways is already providing travel concessions to them.
The CJI said the department, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, should also be associated in formulation of the final policy. The law officer said 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. She said the railways is also contemplating providing an emergency travel quota for all categories of PwDs.
