Quota for disabled: SC seeks status reports from states, UTs

The Supreme Court today asked states like Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand and Rajasthan to file status reports regarding implementation of legal provisions on grant of reservation to disabled persons.
A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra asked states and Union Territories, which have not complied with its earlier direction, to file status reports giving details of progress made in awarding quota to persons suffering from different kind of disabilities.
It fixed the matter for hearing in September.
Earlier, the court had issued notice on a fresh plea by Justice Sunanda Bhandare Foundation through its lawyer Ambar Qamaruddin, that the Centre and states be asked to file reports on the status of the implementation of provisions of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

"It is submitted that the present application is filed for direction to the effect that all the Central Government, State Governments and Union Territories may further be directed to file a quarterly/half yearly status report before this Hon'ble Court, so that the implementation of the provisions of the said Act can be tracked under the supervision of this court," the plea had said.
The court, in its verdict, had said, "In our view, the 1995 Act has to be implemented in letter and spirit by the Central Government, State Governments and Union Territories without any delay, if not implemented so far.

"We, accordingly, direct the Central Government, State Governments and Union Territories to implement the provisions of the 1995 Act immediately and positively by the end of 2014."
"Be that as it may, the beneficial provisions of the 1995 Act cannot be allowed to remain only on paper for years and thereby defeating the very purpose of such law and legislative policy...," it had said.