NEW DELHI, February 13, 2014
Disabilities Bill diluted, say activists Staff Reporter "Militates against basic tenets of UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities" The Society for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies has welcomed the government's move to pass the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014. The Society said that any legislation is better than no legislation, referring to some activists saying that the Bill is highly diluted. "The tabling of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, on the floor of the Rajya Sabhaof Parliament is a historic and laudable initiative, demonstrating abiding interest and unflinching commitment on the part of the Central Government," said the Society's president, G.N. Karna. He added: "However, the fact is that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill is the diluted version of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2011, drafted by the Dr. Sudha Kaul Committee and also the draft Bill released by the Department of Disability Affairs/Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment/Govt. of India on its website in December 2012." 'Self-defeating' Dr. Karna said the current Bill, as approved by the Union Cabinet, is not only a diluted version of the previous draft legislations, but also "self-defeating from the standpoint of empowering the persons with disabilities". "Apart from diluting the recent judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on job-related issue for the persons with disabilities, the Cabinet-approved disability legislation militates against the basic tenets of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities," he added. Dr. Karna also said that as an expert member of the Dr. Sudha Kaul Committee he was quite frustrated at the way things had turned out. "If the legislation was to be drafted by the bureaucrats, then logically, the Committee should not have been formed at all. What was the justification of spending crores of public money on conducting the meetings in various parts of the country and hiring legal consultants by the draft committee? The old adage 'better late than never' should not be forgotten. Thus, the need of the hour is to adopt a cautious and balanced approach with regard to enacting the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014," he said. Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/disabilities-bill-diluted-say-activists/article5683053.ece -- With best regards, Sanchit Katiyar. E-Mail: katiyarsanchit...@gmail.com Skype ID: sanchit.katiyar11 facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sanchit.katiyar.5 Mobile: +919013816320. +919456616244. Time to meet up again! Register for AccessIndia Convention 2014: http://accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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..
