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• The civil aviation ministry has accepted that airlines are not following rules laid down for treatment of differently-abled fliers. Nasim Zaidi, secretary, civil aviation ministry, has issued directives for a meeting to be held with airlines and all stakeholders in which concerns raised by Disabled Rights Group (DRG) will be addressed."The ministry is concerned about the alleged violations of passengers and non-adherence to regulatory framework. I have directed joint secretary G Asok Kumar to convene a meeting and discuss these issues. We will take all possible steps not only to ensure compliance of regulatory framework but if need arises we will strengthen it further," said Zaidi.

• Senior officials of the ministry said an increasing number of violations were coming to light but since there was no punitive action prescribed for them, nothing has been done so far. "We expected that airlines would follow the rules laid out Directorate General of Civil Aviation and not need supervision. DGCA has an elaborate set of guidelines and rules regarding differently-abled fliers that were drawn up when the first case of a disabled being harassed by an airline came to light. However, it seems that airlines are still not serious about this matter. It has to be impressed upon them that such behaviour will not be tolerated by the government," said a senior official.Javed Abidi, DRG convenor, had written to the ministry after two cases of harassment were reported in quick succession.

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