Now Reading: Centre agrees in principle to rail travel concession for acid attack survivors
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Centre agrees in principle to rail travel concession for acid attack survivors
Centre agrees in principle to rail travel concession for acid attack survivors
The Centre told the Supreme Court on Thursday that it has agreed in principle to give railway travel concessions to acid attack survivors, allowing them to travel to city hospitals for treatment.…
The Story in Brief
The Centre told the Supreme Court on Thursday that it has agreed in principle to give railway travel concessions to acid attack survivors, allowing them to travel to city hospitals for treatment. Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave said survivors will be covered under the ‘patient category’, not the disability category, to avoid demands from other disabled groups.
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant asked the Railways to file a draft policy within six weeks and to treat the issue ‘liberally’. The PIL, filed by Atijeevan Society, argued that survivors need AC coaches for frequent visits for reconstructive surgeries and post-operative care, which are available only in metros like Delhi, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
The Indian Opinion
The government’s ‘patient category’ fix for acid attack survivors sidesteps the disability tag but leaves a dangling question, if thalassemia and cancer patients get a separate concession, why the hesitation to name this group? The real test is the draft policy due in six weeks. Will it match the Supreme Court’s direction for a ‘liberal’ approach, or will bureaucratic caution trim the relief to a token gesture?
Sources (3): deccanherald.com, timesnownews.com, hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
