Railway's order on disabled telephone booth operators stayed

Kochi, Jan 9 (UNI) Mr Justice Antony Dominique of the Kerala High Court today stayed the orders of the Railways demanding the entire commission received by physically handicapped telephone booth operators over and above the payment of ground rent and current charges for operating STD booths in Railway Stations.

The order was challenged by the Indian Railway Public Telephone Boothholders Association which contended the demand as absurd and illogical.

The petitioner said in the International Year of Physically Handicapped Persons in 1981, the government decided to rehabilitate the physically handicapped by providing licence to run telephone booths in Railway Stations on a nominal rent.

Subsequently, there was an order to give five per cent of the total collection to the Railway which was struck down by the high court.

Thereafter, the Railways demanded ten per cent of the commission received by them.

On October 25 last year, the Railways issued an order seeking higher commission subject to a minimum of ten per cent.

The association challenged this order and sought a direction to declare the physically handicapped telephone booth operators were not liable to pay commission above ten per cent to the Railways.

UNI XR AD GM SV AS2022