HC wants list of buildings which are disabled friendly

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed all government agencies here to provide it a list of the buildings in national capital which are disabled friendly and those where disabled access audit has been undertaken.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar, also asking the authorities to ensure that disabled access audit was done for all buildings under their control, directed them to apprise it the measures taken after the audit was carried out.

The bench said authorities has filed status reports without understanding the meaning of the disabled access audit and the requirements for making buildings accessible to differently-abled persons.

Disabled access audit is needed to ensure that all public buildings, government offices, and public transport can be made disabled friendly.

The court asked the authorities to explain the measures undertaken for physically disabled as well as visually and auditory impaired persons. The court also directed the Delhi Police to give status on the audit of its buildings including all the police stations here.

During the hearing, advocate Naushad Ahmed Khan said all new buildings are disabled friendly, especially the new police stations.

The bench said police stations should be remodelled quickly "because it's the place frequently used by people".

Khan said that buildings are waiting to be inspected by the audit committee for persons with disabilities appointed by the Public Works Department (PWD).

The bench said: "We want all of you to give a list of buildings. Tell Chief Engineers of CPWD and PWD that when they build a building they must tender for an architect. All measures to enable disabled access should be taken."

The bench also sought presence of Chief Rngineers of CPWD and PWD on the next date of hearing, February 13 be present in court on Thursday.

The directions came during the hearing of a PIL filed by 29-year-old Nipun Malhotra seeking directions to make Delhi's roads, government offices and public transport friendly for the disabled people.

--IANS

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