SC annoyed over failure of states, UTs to file report on disabled

The Supreme Court today expressed displeasure over only six states and two union territories filing status reports in a matter related to differently-abled persons, on which the apex court had last year passed a slew of directions.

A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan observed that it "fails to understand" why the remaining states and UTs have not complied with its March 16 direction asking them to furnish their reports within three weeks.

It granted the "last opportunity" to them to comply with the court's direction within two weeks.

The directions were issued after the court was informed that besides the Centre, only six states and UTs have so far filed their status reports despite its directions.

The advocate representing the petitioner told the bench that the apex court had passed various directions along with a specific time frame but several states and UTs have not filed their status reports.

He said that as per the apex court judgement delivered on December 15 last year in the matter, there was a direction for the states and UTs to constitute central and state advisory boards as per provisions of the Disabilities Act 2016 for its effective implementation.

The lawyer said that only three out of the eight states and UTs, which have so far filed their status reports, have constituted such boards.

Meanwhile, the counsel representing Delhi government told the bench that their status report was ready and they would file the same during the course of the day.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing after three weeks.

In its verdict last year, the top court had said it was imperative to provide proper and safe access to roads, transport, buildings and public places to differently-abled persons so that they could enjoy a meaningful life and contribute to the progress of the nation.

The court had said that right to dignity, which is ensured in the constitutional set up for every citizen, applied with much more vigour in cases of persons suffering from disability and it was duty of the state and public authorities to lay down proper norms in this regard.

It had passed a slew of directions, including that all government buildings providing any services to the public be made fully accessible to differently-abled persons by June 2019 as per provision of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.