Railways provides fare concession to four categories of disabilities: Minister
New Delhi: The Indian Railways offers concession in passenger fare to four categories of persons with disabilities, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Vaishnaw’s response came in response to JD(U) MP Sunil Kumar Pintu questioning the government’s stance on fare concessions to differently-abled people and asked “whether autistic persons have not been covered in the Railways concession list despite autism being included in the list of disabilities”.
Vaishnaw said in response, “Concession in passenger fare is admissible to four categories of persons with disabilities ie (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) persons with hearing and speech impairment (both afflictions together in the same person).”
“Moreover, the government gave a subsidy of 59,837 crore on passenger tickets in 2019-20. This amounts to a concession of 53 per cent on an average to every person travelling on Railways,” he added.
Press Trust of India
