Now Reading: Supreme Court orders Railways to insure all counter-sold tickets by October 27
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Supreme Court orders Railways to insure all counter-sold tickets by October 27
Supreme Court orders Railways to insure all counter-sold tickets by October 27
The Supreme Court has directed Indian Railways to extend insurance coverage to tickets sold at railway reservation counters, with effect from 27 October. The order, passed by a bench of Justice Ahsanuddhin Amanullah and Justice R. Mahadevan, mandates that all over-the-counter tickets receive the same insurance as online tickets, which carry a nominal add-on fee. The Court acted after noting no progress on a mechanism it had earlier asked the Railways to devise.
A bench expressed 'utter disappointment' at Railway officers for failing to implement safety measures despite budgetary allocations. The chairman and members of the Railway Board have been ordered to appear personally on 16 November at 3:00 pm. The Court warned that the Board will be held personally responsible if its assurances are not matched by serious implementation on the ground.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Court's order closes a gap that left offline ticket buyers, often poorer travellers, without accident cover, while online purchasers had it for a small fee. The Railway Board faces personal liability from 27 October if any counter-issued ticket lacks the mandatory insurance. The bench's sharp language, 'utter disappointment' and 'displeasure' over stalled safety spending, signals that the judges now doubt the bureaucracy's word. The next concrete test comes on 16 November, when the Board's chairman and members must appear in court and show that this time, the directive is being executed, not just assured on paper.
Source: livelaw.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
