NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Monday sought govt’s response to a PIL which sought concessional air-conditioned (AC) class rail fare for acid attack survivors to enable them travel to well-equipped hospitals for periodic treatment.A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issued notice to govt on the PIL by NGO ‘Atijeevan Society’, whose counsel argued that acid attack survivors, who generally belong to economically weaker sections of society, are compelled to travel long distances to access life-saving and restorative treatment.“Due to the nature of the burn injuries, persistent itching, and especially after undergoing surgery, acid attack survivors often need to travel by train in AC coaches. However, they cannot afford the high cost of AC tickets for frequent travels. Due to the existing framework, they can neither avail to earmarked quota otherwise available to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) nor the concessional railway fare facility,” the PIL said.It said their rehabilitation necessitated multiple reconstructive surgeries, advanced ophthalmic interventions and prolonged post-operative care, which are available only at a handful of elite tertiary institutions in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad. It pleaded for inclusion of acid attack survivors within the PwD category to make them entitled to concession in rail fare
