Rly to give 75% discount on train fares to HIV+

NEW DELHI
: For people living with HIV/AIDS, travel to hospitals and ART centres will get cheaper with the railway ministry agreeing to provide
them with 75% concession even in reserved compartments.

The Centre through counsel Aman Ahluwalia told a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam on Monday that the railway ministry had also agreed to extend this concessional travel arrangement to an escort of such people.

Till now, HIV/AIDS patients were given 50% concession in unreserved coaches though patients of other diseases like cancer, leprosy and TB were given 75% concession even in reserved compartments. Both railway and food ministries agreed not to refer to such patients as HIV or AIDS infected but as persons with “immune deficiency”.

This decision followed the August 13 meeting of officials from ministries of food and public distribution,
railways, road and transport, law and justice and health and family welfare.

The food ministry has agreed to treat all HIV/AIDS patients living below poverty line (BPL) as ‘poorest of poor’ and provide them with Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cards to get a supply of ration from PDS stores.

As per estimates, 6.52 crore people live below the poverty line, of which the government treats 2.5 crore people as ‘poorest of poor’. Under BPL scheme, rice is sold at Rs 5.65 per kg while wheat at Rs 4.15/kg. But those having AAY cards can buy rice at Rs 3/kg and wheat at Rs 2/kg. Many state governments, as per the ministry of road and transport, had agreed to provide free travel to HIV/AIDS patients for going to hospitals and ART centres. But Madhya Pradesh government said it would not be possible to do so as passenger buses were run by private operators.
Source::TimesofIndia