Indian Railways to Offer 50% Concession to HIV-Positive People Traveling to NACO Treatment Centers

Indian Railways on April 1 will begin offering 50% fare concessions to HIV-positive people traveling to specific National AIDS Control Organisation antiretroviral treatment centers, the Economic Times reports. The reduced fare will be available only to people traveling in second class (Economic Times, 3/26).

Indian Railways in January announced it was considering offering concessions as high as 75% to people living with the virus regardless of their purpose for traveling. Indian Railways already offers fare concessions ranging between 50% to 75% to people living with various medical conditions, including tuberculosis, leprosy, hearing and speech disorders, and heart and kidney disorders (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/3).

Station masters will be authorized to approve the concessions for travelers who provide a certificate issued by an official from NACO treatment centers. The concessions also will be approved for return trips after the patients have received treatment.

The concessions will not be available for certain types of trains -- including Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Jan Sadharan and Garib Rath -- according to the Times (Economic Times, 3/26).

Back to other news for March 2008