MUMBAI: Jan 25: Criticising the Railways for not providing enough facilities for commuters with disabilities in trains, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the department why it was not acting on its own recommendations.

The Bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Roshan Dalvi was hearing a public interest litigation filed by NGO India Centre for Human Rights and Law. The petition demanded that the Western and Central Railway should take steps towards making trains more accessible and friendly for disabled people. The NGO specifically raised issues pertaining to raising the height of platforms and setting up sanitation facilities for disabled people.

In Tuesday’s hearing, Chief Justice Mohit Shah observed, “You (Railways) have your own recommendations which were made in 1998. You should not need someone from outside to tell you what action to take.”

The remarks were made after the lawyer for the Western Railway, Benny Chatterjee, said that the petitioners should come up with specific suggestions to improve facilities for disabled people.

In a hearing of the case in October last year, the court had directed the formation of a 10-member committee, comprising four members of the NGO and six members of the Western and Central Railway, to suggest measures to tackle the issue.

The case will now be heard after four weeks.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com