BENGALURU: Two years after the Parliament passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill-2016 and enacted it as a law, Karnataka is yet to implement the Act. Among the benefits to be extended to the differently-abled persons, in accordance with the Act, are issuing of smart cards, giving two-wheelers specially designed for those with locomotor disability, and talking laptops for the blind. They are also entitled to scholarships for higher education and foreign studies, and the government has to issue disability certificates, extend monetary benefits and reservation in employment, and set up disabled-friendly infrastructure.
The types of disabilities for beneficiary schemes were also increased from seven to 21, comprising blindness, low-vision, leprosy-cured persons, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, dwarfism, intellectual disability, mental illness, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological conditions, specific learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, speech and language disability, thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle Cell disease, multiple disabilities including deafness-blindness, acid attack victims and Parkinson’s disease.
While the new rules have been adopted in several states, disabled persons in Karnataka are still waiting for its implementation. Shankar Subramanian, Secretary, Multiple Sclerosis Society of India, Bengaluru chapter, said, “The rules for the implementation of the Act have already been notified in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. It’s been two years since the Centre passed it but Karnataka is yet to implement it.”
V S Basavaraju, Commissioner for Disabilities, said, “We have 34 disability schemes and it requires consent of 23 departments to extend all benefits to 21 types of disabilities. Previously, there was three per cent reservation in jobs in urban local bodies which has been increased to five per cent. One needs disability certificate to avail any of the benefits and for that to happen we need to get the rules notified first.”
According to Jayavabhavi Swami, Director, Disabilities, a disability card needs to be provided to all those suffering from the 21 types of disabilities, for which a census needs to be done. “The rules have been drafted which will be submitted in the next cabinet for approval, and only after the gazette notification can the Act be implemented,” Swami said.
Also, there is a need to form a medical authority that will issue disability certificates, Siddharaju, former Director, Disabilities, pointed out. “Each disability needs a separate board to be constituted.” he said. “We couldn’t comprehend some of the new disabilities that were added to the Act, on how to determine the percentage of disability, hence the delay,” he added.