Rights of disabled: SC gives UP, Uttarakhand time to file reports

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted a month's time to Uttarakhand and a week to Uttar Pradesh to file their compliance reports on the implementation of the 2016 Act on the rights of persons with disabilities.

A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra posted the mater for hearing in September.

On January 25, the apex court had asked all states and union territories to implement within three months the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and file compliance reports.

The court was hearing a plea by Justice Sunanda Bhandare Foundation for directions to the Central government and all states to implement the Act.

During the hearing, foundation counsel Manali Singhal told the court that Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, and Uttarakhand have not filed affidavits.

The counsel for Karnataka and Haryana told the court that their compliance reports were ready and that they would file these during the day.

The Uttarakhand government sought four weeks to file the report while Uttar Pradesh sought a week's time, which the court granted.

The court also asked the petitioner to prepare a chart stating which issues in the Act were not complied with so that it can pass orders.

In 2016, amendments were made to the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, and the apex court had asked the states and UTs to implement the provisions of the amended Act.

Compared with the 1995 Act, new provisions in the 2016 law had expanded the horizon of the rights of such persons, Singhal said.

The apex court had last year asked states to "scrupulously" follow the 2016 Act which, it said, had brought about a "sea change in the perception" and exhibited a march forward for persons with disabilities.