Provide free human assistance to visually impaired: Delhi HC to Railways

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Railways to provide free human assistance to visually-impaired persons at major stations.

A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, which was hearing a petition initiated by the high court on its own for making rail travel disabled friendly, asked the Railways to consider providing the facility on its own or through a CSR initiative.

Senior advocate SK Rungta, who was appearing as amicus curiae to assist the court, informed that Railways has provided wheelchairs at stations but refused to provide free of charge escort to the visually impaired and asked the court to decide the issue.

“There is so much unemployment. Sahayaks will push the wheelchair. (If there is shortage of funds), you can start some CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiative,” the bench, also comprising Justice Manmeet PS Arora, told the central government counsel.

The counsel said there were around 10,000 railway stations in the country and providing free of cost human assistance has “practical difficulties”.

“You are at the metros. Delhi, Calcutta… Start at major ones,” the court said.

The court listed the case for further hearing on March 20 and asked the Railways to file an additional affidavit.

The suo motu case was initiated by the court in 2017 on its own after coming across a report that the door of a special compartment for the disabled was shut and thus a youth missed his MPhil test at Delhi University that year.