M.V.Ruparelia, A503 Rashmi Utsav, Near Jangid Estate & Vijay Park, Mira Road (East) Dist. Thane. 401107. M. 09821732855. E/Mail: mvrup@yahoo.co.in
To 9-10-11.
Shri Dinesh Trivedi,
Hon. Minister of Railways, Rail Bhawan, New Delhi- 110001.
Dear Sir,
Sub:
To 9-10-11.
Shri Dinesh Trivedi,
Hon. Minister of Railways, Rail Bhawan, New Delhi- 110001.
Dear Sir,
Sub: Looking after Your Elders- National Policy of Older Persons, 1999 (NPOP, 99).
We welcome you as Head of World`s 2nd Largest Network of Railways and wish you all the success in your very important new assignment.
The population of Senior Citizens in Mumbai is more than 10% of the total population and number goes to more than 12 lakhs. They find it very difficult to enter over crowded suburban trains for their urgent need of going to doctors & social obligations through out the day in these trains. They look towards you for help & sympathy, as both local Railway Authorities are not considering their requests on the plea that this matter requires your directives. Providing a separate coach to this ageing segment of society, who are frail & handicapped due to no fault of theirs but only due to ageing process, for whom Government has provided specific policy in 1999, will not create great inconvenience to general passengers, as 14 seats reserved in 2 compartments by you can be surrendered in lieu of separate coach/separate entrance in one side of a coach. As all IInd Class compartments on both ends have a capacity of 13 seats, one side corner of only one coach in the entire train of 12/15 coach can be earmarked for Senior Citizens by blocking entry of general passengers for that particular side of one coach. This will not cause much inconvenience to general passengers, who have got advantage of 12 & 15 coaches now in place of 9 coaches earlier. It is the Policy of Government to provide Age-friendly, barrier-free access in buses and bus stations, railways and railway stations, airports and bus transportation within the airports, banks, hospitals, parks, places of worship, cinema halls, shopping malls and other public places that senior citizens and the disabled frequent. BEST, NMMT, TMT, MBMT, ST- all transport corporations in Mumbai have accepted the Government Policy and provided separate seats & separate entrance for Senior Citizens with specific provision to utilize 2 additional seats meant for handicapped, if vacant inspite of their buses going more crowded than Suburban trains. In fact, BEST has recently increased the reservation to 5 seats i.e. 10% of total seats. Banks, Passport Offices, Post Offices have provided separate Counters for Senior Citizens. It is only Railways, which have miserably failed to follow this Policy for last 12 years for Suburban Trains on wrong pretext of inconvenience to other passengers, resulting in abuse of Senior Citizens of the Mumbai by Railways. This argument of inconvenience to others is not kept in view, while increasing Ladies Specials & 3 coaches to Handicapped in 15 coach-trains!! The fact that large numbers of Senior Citizens travel, some how daily, in crowded trains also is forgotten. These very passengers are to be given a facility of entering and seating due to their age & physical condition and as a respect to Elders of the Country as per Government Policy. Reservation of some seats in all First Class coaches for those Senior Citizens, who have been able to enter, will also not result in any inconvenience to others, as unoccupied seats will be available to general passengers till some one reaches to reserved seats & requests. It is only that if some Senior Citizens come due to their urgency and capacity to get in, they may get seating comfort necessary for their age.
The Government of India had declared the National Policy on Older Persons as early as 1999 covering all aspects required to be taken into account for welfare of Older Persons. The Policy declared the Older Persons as respected Citizens requiring strengthening of their legitimate place in the Society and to take all actions to help them to live their last phase of life with Purpose, Dignity and Peace. The Policy (para 68) provides fare concessions in all modes of travel with preferences in reservation of seats in Public Transport. We are thankful to both Railways at Mumbai for earmarking 7 seats in 2 compartments for Senior Citizens in Suburban Trains during non-peak hours. As you are aware, even in non-peak hours, it is difficult for Senior Citizens, who are frail & more handicapped than medically certified handicaps, due to age factor, to enter the overcrowded trains and avail of this facility. In view of this and in view of more trains with 12/15 compartments as against 9 earlier and 4 lines between Borivali-Virar Section, we request you to provide your Elders the facility of separate entering for the whole day by providing a small compartment like for handicapped or blocking entry of other passengers from one side of one compartment out of 12/15 coaches having seating capacity of 13 in lieu of existing 14 seats in 2 compartments and also permit them to travel by Handi-capped Coach & Ladies Specials by earmarking one coach or one side of one coach to enable them to enter and reach Doctors/Pathological Centres etc, which are generally available in Morning Hours. We would also request you to earmark some seats in all First Class Compartments.
We shall be grateful, if this is considered sympathetically & immediate orders issued to Western & Central Railways to earmark one side portion of one coach for 13 seats in lieu of existing reservation of 14 seats and to reserve 10% of seats in First Class Coaches.
We shall be grateful, if a line in reply in terms of para 66 of Office Manual is sent at an early date.
Thanking You,
Yours Sincerely,
( M.V.Ruparelia )
We welcome you as Head of World`s 2nd Largest Network of Railways and wish you all the success in your very important new assignment.
The population of Senior Citizens in Mumbai is more than 10% of the total population and number goes to more than 12 lakhs. They find it very difficult to enter over crowded suburban trains for their urgent need of going to doctors & social obligations through out the day in these trains. They look towards you for help & sympathy, as both local Railway Authorities are not considering their requests on the plea that this matter requires your directives. Providing a separate coach to this ageing segment of society, who are frail & handicapped due to no fault of theirs but only due to ageing process, for whom Government has provided specific policy in 1999, will not create great inconvenience to general passengers, as 14 seats reserved in 2 compartments by you can be surrendered in lieu of separate coach/separate entrance in one side of a coach. As all IInd Class compartments on both ends have a capacity of 13 seats, one side corner of only one coach in the entire train of 12/15 coach can be earmarked for Senior Citizens by blocking entry of general passengers for that particular side of one coach. This will not cause much inconvenience to general passengers, who have got advantage of 12 & 15 coaches now in place of 9 coaches earlier. It is the Policy of Government to provide Age-friendly, barrier-free access in buses and bus stations, railways and railway stations, airports and bus transportation within the airports, banks, hospitals, parks, places of worship, cinema halls, shopping malls and other public places that senior citizens and the disabled frequent. BEST, NMMT, TMT, MBMT, ST- all transport corporations in Mumbai have accepted the Government Policy and provided separate seats & separate entrance for Senior Citizens with specific provision to utilize 2 additional seats meant for handicapped, if vacant inspite of their buses going more crowded than Suburban trains. In fact, BEST has recently increased the reservation to 5 seats i.e. 10% of total seats. Banks, Passport Offices, Post Offices have provided separate Counters for Senior Citizens. It is only Railways, which have miserably failed to follow this Policy for last 12 years for Suburban Trains on wrong pretext of inconvenience to other passengers, resulting in abuse of Senior Citizens of the Mumbai by Railways. This argument of inconvenience to others is not kept in view, while increasing Ladies Specials & 3 coaches to Handicapped in 15 coach-trains!! The fact that large numbers of Senior Citizens travel, some how daily, in crowded trains also is forgotten. These very passengers are to be given a facility of entering and seating due to their age & physical condition and as a respect to Elders of the Country as per Government Policy. Reservation of some seats in all First Class coaches for those Senior Citizens, who have been able to enter, will also not result in any inconvenience to others, as unoccupied seats will be available to general passengers till some one reaches to reserved seats & requests. It is only that if some Senior Citizens come due to their urgency and capacity to get in, they may get seating comfort necessary for their age.
The Government of India had declared the National Policy on Older Persons as early as 1999 covering all aspects required to be taken into account for welfare of Older Persons. The Policy declared the Older Persons as respected Citizens requiring strengthening of their legitimate place in the Society and to take all actions to help them to live their last phase of life with Purpose, Dignity and Peace. The Policy (para 68) provides fare concessions in all modes of travel with preferences in reservation of seats in Public Transport. We are thankful to both Railways at Mumbai for earmarking 7 seats in 2 compartments for Senior Citizens in Suburban Trains during non-peak hours. As you are aware, even in non-peak hours, it is difficult for Senior Citizens, who are frail & more handicapped than medically certified handicaps, due to age factor, to enter the overcrowded trains and avail of this facility. In view of this and in view of more trains with 12/15 compartments as against 9 earlier and 4 lines between Borivali-Virar Section, we request you to provide your Elders the facility of separate entering for the whole day by providing a small compartment like for handicapped or blocking entry of other passengers from one side of one compartment out of 12/15 coaches having seating capacity of 13 in lieu of existing 14 seats in 2 compartments and also permit them to travel by Handi-capped Coach & Ladies Specials by earmarking one coach or one side of one coach to enable them to enter and reach Doctors/Pathological Centres etc, which are generally available in Morning Hours. We would also request you to earmark some seats in all First Class Compartments.
We shall be grateful, if this is considered sympathetically & immediate orders issued to Western & Central Railways to earmark one side portion of one coach for 13 seats in lieu of existing reservation of 14 seats and to reserve 10% of seats in First Class Coaches.
We shall be grateful, if a line in reply in terms of para 66 of Office Manual is sent at an early date.
Thanking You,
Yours Sincerely,
( M.V.Ruparelia )
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