While the original demand relates to offering fare concessions to HIV/AIDS patients in a bid to facilitate their travel to the National AIDS Control Organisation's (NACO) Antiretroviral Treatment (ATR) Centres offering treatment at subsidised rates at 127 locations across the country, Railways, it is reliably learnt, are mulling granting a blanket concession allowing HIV/AIDS patients to avail of the benefit whenever they travel on trains, irrespective of the purpose of their travel.

"The demand to offer concessions in fare to HIV and AIDS patients has been there for the past couple of years with even the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) seeking the benefit for these people. However, it is for the first time that the Ministry has taken up the proposal and started working out the modalities," a senior railway official told The Indian Express. With the next Rail Budget expected to be UPA Government's last, officials said that the move, considering it's populist potential, is almost set to make it to Lalu's Rail Budget speech.

Indian Railways already offer fare concessions ranging between 50-75 per cent to people having a host of medical conditions. Those covered under the concessions being offered include orthopaedically handicapped, paraplegic, blind, mentally challenged, those suffering from hearing and speech disorders, patients suffering from cancer, tuberculosis, leprosy, thalassemia, heart and kidney disorders and ostomy patients. Except for a few categories, these concessions are made available to one escort per patient.

A person suffering from cancer currently gets a 75 per cent fare concession while travelling in Second Class, Sleeper Class, First Class, AC Chair Car and AC 3-tier and a 50 per cent concession while travelling in AC 2-Tier and AC-1 Tier. Similarly, those suffering from TB or non-infectious leprosy get a flat 75 per cent concession, irrespective of the class of travel. Also, while those suffering from cancer, TB, leprosy and thalassemia are offered fare concessions only while travelling for treatment or periodic check-up, all the other categories are offered these concessions irrespective of their travel purposes.