New Delhi, Dec 14 (PTI) A section of activists have demanded concessions in train fare for all 21 categories of disabled persons identified in the central act for rights of persons with disabilities.

At present, the Indian Railways offers concession in train fare to only four categories of persons with disabilities which are (i) orthopaedically handicapped/paraplegic persons who cannot travel without escort, (ii) mentally retarded persons who cannot travel without escort, (iii) persons with visual impairment with total absence of sight, and (iv) person with hearing and speech impairment (both afflictions together in the same person).

Also Read | Delhi Auto-Rickshaw Stunt: Dangerous Stunt On Signature Bridge Leads to Seizure of Vehicle, Legal Action (Watch Video).

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared this information in the Lok Sabha on December 13 responding to questions asked by Janata Dal (U) MP Sunil Kumar Pintu who wanted to know why autistic persons have not been covered in the railway concession list despite autism being included in the list of disabilities.

Activists have spoken against the Railways' concession policies and said that it is against "The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act - 2016".

Also Read | Mahadev Betting App Case: Maharashtra Government Forms SIT To Probe Underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim Brother's Involvement.

“In the wake of India ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2007, it became incumbent on India to harmonise all its relevant domestic laws and policies with this international treaty,” said Dr. Satendra Singh, Director Professor at University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) and Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital.

“The result was RPDA 2016 which recognised 21 disabilities. However, the Railways violated the disability act by providing concessional benefits to only four categories, and even within those, they discriminate by charging for wheelchair usage at railway stations,” Singh, who is also disability justice advocate, added.

The RPDA 2016, which came into effect in 2017, added 14 new disabilities to the existing seven in the previous act totalling 21. New disabilities added in the amended act are speech and language disability, specific learning disability, acid attack victims, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy and three blood disorders, thalassemia, hemophilia and sickle cell disease among others.

Muralidharan, general secretary, National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled, said that there is no justification in extending to only a few categories of disabilities while leaving out others.

“The Railways has been extending concessions to only four categories of disabled. The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) has been raising the demand for extending concessions to all those recognised as disabled right from 2010 onwards with various railway ministers who have held office since then,” Muralidharan said.

“Every year, we have been religiously submitting representations before the budget session, along with other issues concerning accessibility etc, but to no avail," he added.

Another activist, who did not want to be identified as he works with the government, said that cancer patients get concessions in train fare as they need to travel to hospitals for chemotherapy but patients with blood disorders such as thalassemia also need to visit hospitals frequently for blood transfusion.

“However people with blood disorders are not in the list of beneficiaries for concession in train fare. I think Railways should come out with the rationale behind selecting types of disabilities for benefits,” he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)