BMC bid to shirk ramp check at Nehru Centre eatery irks Bombay high court - Times of India
Sep 17, 2019, 09.13 AM IST Printed from MUMBAI: The Bombay high court rebuked the BMC on Monday for claiming its officials don't have the jurisdiction to enter a government building to measure a wheelchair ramp. It also decided to take up a complaint about the lack of ramps in many courts in the next hearing. Hearing a PIL on the lack of facilities for the differently abled in public buildings, the court asked petitioner-advocate Abha Singh to personally inspect sites that were reported without ramps. Singh pointed out that the Jade Garden restaurant on the premises of Nehru Centre in Worli has a ramp "which is narrow and a wheelchair cannot pass". She said she will need BMC help to have it measured as per the disability Act. The BMC's advocate replied that Nehru Centre does not fall under it but a cell that deals with government properties and its sub-engineer of the building proposal department won't be allowed in. A bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre said they are not concerned whether it falls under BMC or any other authority. "Public buildings have to be accessible to the differently abled. Don't say this is not my jurisdiction... Every person can go to any public building," the CJ admonished him. The judges directed that the sub-engineer should accompany Singh on Saturday to Jade Garden to measure the ramp. Following the HC's direction, the BMC had surveyed 13 establishments and told the court on August 26 that no ramps were found at the National Gallery for Modern Art and Regal Cinema at Colaba, Aer Lounge at Four Seasons Hotel, Jade Garden at Nehru Centre and Tamasha at Kamala Mills. Singh also drew the court's attention to a complaint from a senior citizen with 86% disability in the lower right limb who has to visit different courts. "The courts themselves are not accessible. Either at some places, they don't have ramps or if they have ramps, there are no hand bars. As charity starts at home, I hope you will draw the attention of the Hon'ble Court," the complainant said in a WhatsApp message to Singh. It added that matters of senior citizens have been transferred to the barracks in the City Civil Court, but there are no ramps to go there from the main building. The CJ said he would issue necessary instructions to the high court registry. Singh pointed out that a housing society was not allowing a ramp to be built for a paraplegic girl to access her home. "They say it will spoil the beauty of the society. Considering the ramifications, housing societies should be issued directions,'' she said. The judges said both matters will be taken up at the next hearing after two weeks. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
