The Indian government has informed the Supreme Court of its intention to establish a policy providing railway travel concessions to survivors of acid attacks, particularly to aid them in accessing medical treatment. This development was discussed during a hearing by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana. The plea was filed by the Atijeevan Society, which advocates for railway concessions and reservation benefits for acid attack survivors.
CJI Surya Kant highlighted that acid attack survivors are already recognized as persons with disabilities under existing law. He emphasized that addressing their needs could be integrated into broader social welfare measures. “The categorization as disabled has been legally settled through amendments addressed in another petition before us,” he stated.
Representing the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave proposed extending the concession through the existing “patient category” rather than creating a separate provision under the disability category. Dave expressed the government’s concern that including acid attack survivors under the disability category might prompt similar demands from other disability groups. Nonetheless, she affirmed that the government is committed to facilitating travel concessions for medical purposes.
The counsel for Atijeevan Society argued that the current patient category could pose logistical challenges for survivors needing to travel across states for various surgeries. “For instance, if I reside in Himachal Pradesh and require treatment in Chennai, I would need a concession certificate from a Chennai-based doctor or hospital. My treatments may range from eye surgeries to skin grafting, potentially involving multiple cities,” the counsel explained.
In response, CJI Kant recommended a time-bound concession, allowing survivors to travel as needed for a specified period. “Consider providing it on a time-limited basis. It doesn’t have to be restricted from one station to another. For the initial year, wherever treatment is required, it should be facilitated,” he suggested.
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Dave reiterated the government’s stance against offering concessions exclusively to one disability category. CJI Kant proposed framing the benefit as part of a social welfare scheme specifically for acid attack survivors. “This would be part of a social welfare scheme, recognizing them as disabled,” he remarked. Dave agreed to explore this suggestion further.
Additionally, the counsel for Atijeevan Society requested an emergency travel quota for survivors, highlighting the urgent nature of some medical treatments. “Immediate travel may be necessary depending on the treatment. Delays could impact recovery significantly,” the counsel pointed out. CJI Kant concurred that such provisions should be included.
The Court has granted the Centre six weeks to finalize the policy’s conditions and modalities. The Centre also agreed to share the policy draft with Atijeevan Society for feedback before submitting it to the Court.
