Achievements of Disabilities Act highlighted

The achievements of the Persons of Disabilities Act, 1995, was highlighted today at a conference here where speakers also outlined areas that needed changes.
"The 1995 Act set the ground for people with disabilities to make demands without fear and stake rightful claims," said Javed Abidi, director of non profit organisation National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People.
The conditions of employment for persons with disabilities need to "change significantly" in India, said Nishant Pandey, country director of American India Foundation (AIF), adding that the 1995 Act is a legislation that has been successful in changing the lives of persons with disabilities to "some extent".

The efforts of disability rights movements will shape the Act to be far more progressive, he said.
Aimed at releasing a stock taking report of the last two decades of implementation of the Act, the conference also focused on setting concrete targets under Vision 2022 - the 75th year of India's independence, the organisers of the programme said.
The two-day Conference will conclude tomorrow with further deliberations on the topic.

(REOPENS DEL 25)
Speaking at another session of the All India Regional Editors conference in Jaipur, Union Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh said the top priority of the Central government is to ensure availability of amenities to rural populace.

"A focused approach to make qualitative improvement in rural lives is being adopted through effective implementation, better outreach and continuous monitoring," he stated.
Explaining plans for the rural development, he said that under Rurban Mission, clusters of 15-20 villages having about 30 to 40 lakh population will be developed.
Rurban Mission to transform rural areas to economically, socially and physically sustainable spaces will be launched on February 28 from Kerala, he informed.
In first year, he said 100 Rurban growth clusters will be developed.
The mission aims to create 300 such clusters over the next three years, across the country.

The funding for Rurban Clusters will be through various schemes of the Government converged into the cluster, he added.