New Delhi, January 06: The Supreme Court today warned of contempt proceedings against states which fail to provide sufficient special access facilities for physically challenged persons as mandated under the Persons with Disabilities Act.
A three-judge bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia, justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar also sought an explanation from the Centre within four weeks as to whether Central Committee and State level committees have been set up for implementing the Act and details vis-a-vis disbursal of funds, if any.
The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act was enacted in 1995.
The apex court gave the warning after senior counsel Colin Gonzalves for petitioner Rajiv Raturi in a PIL complained that though several guidelines have been framed under the Act for the benefit of physically challenged persons, neither the Centre nor the states showed interest in implementing the same
–Agencies