Bombay High Court rejects Railways' proposal to levy cess for medical services

Suresh Kumar, Railway Counsel, informed a bench headed by Justice Oka that the authorities were proposing to levy a cess on monthly season ticket holders for such services.
     
However, the bench rejected the proposal saying that the Railways were under the obligation to provide emergency medical services free of cost to the commuters. Even the Constitution gave a right to the citizens to enjoy the right to safety, the bench ruled.
     
While the Railways pleaded that their expenditure exceeded income and hence a levy was proposed, the petitioner, Sameer Zaveri, who himself lost both his legs in an accident, argued that suburban Railways were making a profit.
     
Zaveri said he had learnt through an RTI that the annual income of the suburban Railways was to the tune of Rs 1,824 crore, while the expenditure was Rs 1,624 leaving a balance of Rs 200 crore as surplus.

The court also ordered the Railways to provide Emergency Medical Rooms at all the stations as soon as possible. The Railways informed that at big stations, where the accidents have numbered more than 100 in the recent months, emergency medical rooms would be set up in three months and at other stations they would come up in the next six months.

 

Source: Hindi News and Newspaper