The Southern Railway on Thursday told the Madras High Court that the facility of booking tickets online cannot be extended to those who seek fare concession provided to chronic patients since original medical certificates issued by doctors of recognised hospital in a prescribed format had to be verified across the counter.
In a counter affidavit filed before a Division Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and R. Hemalatha, the Southern Railway said that any person could book the tickets at concessional fare at the reservation counters after producing the necessary certificates since the concession was provided to the patients as well as one escort.
There was no compulsion that the patient concerned should approach the reservation counters for purchasing the tickets on concession, the counter filed through its counsel P.T. Ramkumar clarified. It was filed in response to a public interest litigation petition which insisted upon providing online booking facility.
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The litigant A.S. Mohammed Khader Meeran had pointed out that the Ministry of Railways provides concession in fares for the physically challenged, students, artists, sportspersons, medical professionals, senior citizens, awardees, war widows and journalists. These must be provided in online bookings too, he insisted.
However, Southern Railways told the court that concessions ranging from 10% to 100% was provided to more than 50 categories of passengers before March 20 as a welfare measure. However, after COVID-19, it had been decided to provide the concession only to students, four categories among the physically challenged and 11 categories of patients.
Now only limited number of categories such as cancer, heart, kidney, thalaseemia and haemophilia patients were eligible for concession and it had been done to discourage people from undertaking non essential travel, the court was informed. After taking the counter on file, the judges adjourned the case to Friday for hearing.
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