Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 3: High Court today directed the authorities to ensure transport facility to the differently-abled person in the State.
As the counsel representing Social Welfare Department submitted before the court that Government is under process to make action plan for providing facilities to the differently-abled persons which includes transport facility to them.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sanjeev Kumar while dealing with PIL with regard to providing all facilities to the persons having different kinds of disability directed the Social Welfare Department to ensure providing of transport facility to the persons who are having disabilities.
With regard to training programmes including in Leh and Kargil undertaken for these persons court has made Department of Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Higher Education Department, Technical Education Department, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, IGP Traffic and Transport Commissioner as party respondents in the instant PIL for preparing the action plan.
It is only in the month of February the information furnished by the Department of Social Welfare that the Government of India had approved release of Rs. 42.74 lakh for creation of a barrier free environment in seven buildings located in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The respondents had also stated that DPRs of 16 more buildings are stated to have been submitted to the Government of India recently.
With regard to the access audits, Nipman Foundation did not file any report to which Court said a remind be sent to the foundation for doing the needful so that access audits undertaken by them in respect of Court complexes in Jammu and Srinagar is placed on record.
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the traffic authorities are under direction to place before the Court their action plan and steps taken to ensure that the pavements and roads are disabled friendly.
A direction is also to the Principal Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to place a report regarding the notification of the rules under the Rights of Persons with Disability Act 1998.
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