New Delhi, June 9: The Orissa government Friday urged Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Thawarchand Gehlot to ensure wide publicity to the new legislation on disability to remove potential hassles.
Department of social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities (SSEPD) principal secretary Niten Chandra who represented Orissa during the eastern states’ meeting with Gehlot demanded Central support to the states in this connection. The agenda for the meeting here was to discuss the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and the role of states in its implementation.
“Provisions of the new Act are likely to benefit the disabled population of the country at large. It not only increases the disability categories leading to coverage of more needy people but also talks about penalties for violation of rights of the disabled and defining offences,” Chandra said.
He, however, cautioned, “The beneficiaries should be well-informed about the new legislation and the consequences in case the disabled are deprived of their rights.”
Chandra urged the Union minister to assist states in ensuring wider publicity about provisions of the new law so that the disabled know their rights and the employers who could be liable to prosecution in case of violation of the disability law are made aware.
Gehlot in his speech said, “The new Act has expanded the horizon of the rights of persons with disabilities. The states are required to take measures to provide a mechanism for registration of institutions working in the disability sector. The new Act has prescribed penalty for violation of its provisions.
The meeting with the minister was also attended by representatives from states like Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal. PNN