Is Goa Government sensitive to the woes of People with Disability:DRAG

Prakash Kamat

Panaji, July 18- The Disability Rights Association of Goa(DRAG), NGO of persons with disability,which works for persons with disability has indignantly asked Goa State to shut down offices of State Disability Commissioner and Special Cell for the Empowerment of persons with disability

Here is its latest letter addressed to Goa Chief Secretary Parimal Rai,with copies marked to various concerned departments and authorities:

Re: Demand to shut down offices of State Disability Commissioner and Special Cell for the Empowerment of persons with disability

Disability Rights Association of Goa is a disabled peoples organization started 17 years ago by people with disability with the main objective of bringing people with disability into the mainstream society.

We demand that the State Government shuts down the offices of State Disability Commissioner and the Special Cell for the Empowerment of Persons with Disability in Goa with immediate effect as the state government departments are not implementing the orders of the part time State Disability Commissioner and the circulars of the Special Cell of the Empowerment of Persons with Disability neither is the State Government serious in appointing a full time State Disability Commissioner nor is it interested in giving persons with disability their dues as mandated under the Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2016. We make this demand as we see no point in wasting tax payer’s money in continuing these offices in view of the above.

We give herebelow few instances to support our demand

1.      The part time state disability commissioner in January 2021 after one year of hearings had passed an order to promote a person with disability in the Directorate of Animal Husbandry. However even after six months have passed the order is not yet implemented by the Directorate of Animal Husbandry.

2.      The Ministry of Personnel Govt. of India more than a year ago had exempted persons with disability from attending office due to COVID 19 due to their vulnerability to the virus. The State Government notified the same only a month ago after representation from persons with disability. However till date many persons with disability are not getting the exemption as many government departments claim to have not received the circular.

3.      The State Government in 2017 notified the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 wherein the number of disabilities increased from 7 to 21. However even though 4 years have passed 10 disabilities are not yet being certified in Goa due to absence of medical board thereby denying around 2000 people with disability in Goa social and educational benefits.

4.      The State Government in 2014 had issued circular that persons with disability should be posted near their place of residence. However even after 7 years persons with disability in Goa have to run from pillar to post to cancel their transfers in violation of the above.

5.      The State Disability Commissioner in 2004 had directed that all government offices should be accessible for people with disability as mandated under Persons with Disability Act 1995 and all public functions should be held in accessible places. However till date even though 17 years have passed 90% of government offices are not accessible for people with disability and many offices do not even have an accessible toilet for their employees with disability.

6.      State Government Departments are not implementing reservations in promotion for people with disability inspite of supreme court order dated March 2020.

7.      People with disability have not received Dayanand Social Security Scheme for the last 2 months despite undertaking to High Court of Bombay at Panaji.

We hope you will accede to our above demands and oblige at the earliest.

Thanking you in anticipation

Yours truly

Avelino de Sa

PRESIDENT

DISABILITY RIGHTS ASSOCIATION OF GOA