A State- level awareness workshop is being organised on 18th February 2017 at C.G.O Towers, Kavadiguda, Hyderabad on the Disabled Persons Act, 2016 which was passed by the Parliament recently in its December session. The workshop is organised by Press Information Bureau in coordination with All India Disabled Rights Forum.
The NDA Government has recently passed Disabled Persons Act, 2016. Dr. P.J. Sudhakar, ADG, PIB, Hyderabad hailed the steps taken by the Centre. He said that the State and Central government officers must know about the Act thoroughly and they should strive to implement it in letter and spirit. Dr. Sudhakar added that all the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution are applicable to persons with disabilities as well. A barrier-free environment in the society is a pre-requisite for the Act’s implementation, he exhorted.
In this context, he enlisted certain salient features of the Act. If anyone shows discrimination towards Divyangs they are liable to imprisonment or fine according to the Act. The imprisonment would consist of 6 months and can be upto 2 years; and the penalty will be Rs.10,000 to Rs. 5 lakhs. The reservation for persons with disabilities has been enhanced from 3 per cent to 4 per cent. The word disability was given a wider meaning. The list of disabilities extended from 7 to 21; Acid attack victims and persons suffering from Parkinsons disease are also included in the list. Once a person is identified as Divyang, that identity applies throughout the country. In case of performing abortion of Divyang women, their permission must be obtained. The government is setting up a new university for Divyangs with an outlay of Rs.1,700 Crores, the ADG, PIB recalled.
Telangana BJP President and MLA Dr. K. Lakshman, Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal and Helen Keller Institute Chairman P. Umar Khan are among the invitees to the workshop, informed All India Disabled Persons Rights Forum National President Kolli Nageshwar Rao. He also said that the Centre is launching several welfare programmes for the upliftment of disabled persons and urged the disabled persons to utilise those programmes. (INN)