In spite of the constitutional provision and rising number of people with disability in the country, many States are yet to set up a separate department for implementation of welfare schemes for the sector. They have either appointed a fulltime commissioner or handed over additional charge to officers to do the job.
Just four States — Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka — have so far created the separate departments. People with disability in the country constitute more than 2.21 per cent of the total population.
Taking serious note of the negligence by the States, a parliamentary panel recently said that “no country or society can ever progress ignoring the needs and aspirations of more than 2.70 crore persons with disabilities”. It has asked the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry to impress upon the state governments and UT administrations to have separate disability department to address the concerns, problems of the differently-abled.
The setting up of the separate department becomes all the more important as the Centre is in the process of framing rules for the new Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwDs) Act, 2016, which was notified late last year. It has many landmark provisions which would deliver results only if States have dedicated department for their implementation.
A senior official from the Department of the People with Disabilities (PwDs) under the Ministry said that the States/UTs which have not yet appointed independent Commissioner for PwDs have been asked to do so on priority basis. They were also requested to provide adequate support staff to the Commissioner for PwDs to enable him to discharge his functions effectively.”
Besides many benefits, the Act also provides for setting up constitution of district level committees by the State Governments to address local concerns of PwDs as well as special courts for speedy trial. The Act makes the discrimination, assault or insult to the disabled punishable with imprisonment for a term, which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to five years and with fine.