High Court notice to Centre, KRCL on lack of facilities at railway stations

‘Many Konkan railway stations lack infrastructure for senior citizens, disabled

Bengaluru / Karnataka : 19/08/2020 : A view of High Court of Karnataka on 19 August 2020. Photo : V Sreenivasa  Murthy/The Hindu.

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday ordered issue of notice to the Union government and Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) on a public interest litigation petition complaining about non-provision of facilities for persons with disabilities and senior citizens in majority of Konkan railway stations in Karnataka.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum passed the order on the petition filed by George Fernandez and two others, who are the office-bearers of the Railway Seva Samithi, Uttara Kannada district.

As per the provisions of the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and guidelines issued by the apex court, the authorities will have to provide better facilities of boarding and de-boarding in all public places, including railway stations, the petitioners have pointed out and added that many of the around 25 stations on Konkan railway stretch lack proper facilities for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

Konkan railway stations mainly lack footbridge and platform of desired height, boarding and de-boarding facilities for senior citizen and physically challenged persons, and lack of basic amenities such as sitting, lighting and shelter for people belonging to these categories, the petitioners have said.

Stating that Konkan railway travellers were being “induced to cross the railway line/track in the absence of adequate and proper boarding and de-boarding facilities with “scientific second platforms” and footbridges, the petitioner said crossing railway track was a punishable offence under the Indian Railway Act.

Authorities of the KRCL, including its head, were to be held responsible for “abetment to commit offence” as railway passengers were forced to cross the track in violation of the law in the absence of non-provision of facilities by the corporation, the petitioners have claimed.

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Though the petitioners have also sought a direction to the Central government to issue gazette notification to handover Mangaluru complex (of Southern Railway) and Tokkuru station (of Konkan Railway) to South Western Railway as was approved by the Railway Board way back in 2004, the Bench said it was considering only the plea for providing proper facilities for physically challenged persons and the senior citizens.