CHENNAI: Observing that no new public building should be constructed without facilities for persons with disabilities, the Madras High Court on Monday directed the State government to adhere to the new National Building Code (NBC) rules.
The observation was made during the hearing of a petition by one M Karpagam, who had underlined the incident in Kancheepuram wherein a 24-year-old differently abled person, working at a government warehouse that did not have a toilet, died after falling into the septic tank of an under-construction house.
During the hearing on Monday, the State submitted a status report on government buildings and its facilities. The First Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, however, observed that the report does not indicate whether the public buildings across the State can be accessed by persons with disabilities.
The Bench then said that all public buildings, including Court houses, must have access facilities for persons with disabilities. Toilets that can be accessed by such persons must also be installed in public buildings.Before adjourning the plea, the Bench directed the State: “... no new public building may be constructed or sanctioned or planned without providing access for persons with disabilities.”
The Public Works Department and its officials should be acquainted with governing statute (the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016) and the NBC rules so that the mandatory instructions therein are adhered to without exception. The court adjourned the plea till September for the State to file a detailed report.