BANGALORE: The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Manoj Kumar, on Friday said though the State Government is ahead in implementing programmes for the benefit of disabled persons, a lot more needs to be done for the optimum implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.

Addressing presspersons here after reviewing the progress in the implementation of the Act, Mr. Kumar said funds earmarked for various schemes are not fully disbursed to disabled persons.

Though they are entitled to three per cent out of the total funds as per the Act, they hardly receive one per cent. Hence, he has instructed the departments concerned, including the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, to adhere to the reservation benefits to such persons. However, reservation is being provided in government jobs to disabled persons, he added.

Stating that the Act states that all public buildings should be barrier-free offering unobstructed entry and exit for disabled, Mr. Kumar said the Administrative Training Institute in Mysore will become one such building shortly. His office has released Rs. 5 lakhs for the renovation of the building and Rs. 5 lakhs more will be released shortly. Mr. Kumar said the Government's proposal to make multi-storeyed buildings disabled-friendly at a cost of Rs. 20 lakhs has been accepted by his office and the work in this regard will commence soon.

As the Act has made it compulsory to provide free education to disabled children up to the age of 18, the Government has been urged to accelerate the process under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

Mr. Kumar said that he has asked the Government to consider a proposal to provide incentives to disabled children and regular schools admitting such children.

The State Commissioner, Krishnamurthy, was present.

`Frame rules'

Staff Reporter writes:

The Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the Government to frame rules within six months for providing benefits to the disabled under Section 43 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunity, Protection and Full Participation) Act, 1955.

The court also directed the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation to provide a plot at its bus station for enabling the petitioner, Ravindra Ural, to set up an ice-cream parlour. When the matter came up, Justice K.L. Manjunath sought to know from the Government its stand on the request of the petitioner. On January 5, Mr. Justice Manjunath directed the State to frame a scheme for providing employment opportunities to the disabled as was envisaged under the Act after Mr. Ural challenged the decision of the BMTC not to allot space at the Shivajinagar Bus Stand for setting up an ice-cream parlour.

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