IE : Govt will try to make rly stations disabled-friendly : Aug 28, 2007

Govt will try to make rly stations disabled-friendly'
Centre tells HC that it will hold meetings with rlys to come up with
facilities for differently-abled
 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
AUGUST 27

 n connection with a public interest litigation (PIL) asking for the
Disability Act, 1995, to be implemented in railway stations, Additional
Solicitor General Rajendra Raghuvanshi made a statement before a division
bench of the Bombay High Court recently that the Centre will attempt to make
railway stations disabled-friendly as soon as possible.

Raghuvanshi said that the Centre will co-ordinate meetings with the railways
and try come up with a solution in six weeks'.

A India Centre for Human Rights and Law (ICHRL), an NGO, had filed a PIL in
the High Court asking for the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunity
and Protection of Rights and Full Participation Act), 1995 to be implemented
at railway stations.

"We have a positive approach towards this petition. The Union of India and
the Railway Ministry will see to it that the facilities are made available
in the railways as far as possible. We are bound by the Act. We will
co-ordinate a meeting with the railways and try to come up with a solution,"
said Raghuvan shi.

The PIL said that since both the Central and Western Railways are modifying
their railway coaches for local trains, it is imperative that the
modifications include measures to make coaches of the railways barrier-free
and disabled-friendly.

The NGO also argued that the railway stations, platforms, and facilities
such as toilets and ticketcounters should also be disabled-friendly.
As per the Disability Act, the Central Government should ensure that there
is no discrimination of the disabled in the field of transport, and that
modes of transport as also public buildings should be barrier-free for them.

Publication : IE; Section :MN; Pg : 5; Date : 28/8/07
URL  :
http://70.86.150.130/indianexpress/ArticleText.aspx?article=28_08_2007_525_006