NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the central government to expeditiously consider the application of an acid attack survivor seeking issuance of a disability certificate.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav also sought a response from the government on the survivor’s plea seeking reassessment of her disability in accordance with a 2024 notification.
The court passed the order after the survivor submitted that she had attempted to apply for reassessment but the online portal did not provide an option for it.
During the hearing, the central government informed the court that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) dated June 13, 2024, lays down the procedure for seeking reassessment of disability. According to the SOP, applicants must first surrender their Unique Disability ID (UDID) card before applying for reassessment.
The judge asked the survivor’s counsel why she had not applied in accordance with the SOP. The counsel responded that the process would take around six months for reassessment and another six months before the disability certificate could be issued.
“You are asking for the disability certificate, right? Why don’t you apply as per the SOP,” the judge reiterated during the hearing. The court recorded in its order that the petitioner had earlier applied for a disability certificate and, upon evaluation, had been diagnosed with 30 per cent permanent disability in one eye.
However, the petitioner claimed that as per the applicable guidelines, the disability in her case should be assessed at at least 70 per cent. “She submits that she attempted to apply for reassessment; however, the portal does not provide for reassessment,” the court noted.