Bhubaneswar: BJD Spokesperson Sulochana Das Wednesday took charge as the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities – a quasi judicial body of the government to deal with the issues of the differently-abled.
Das reached the office and interacted with the staff before taking over her new responsibility Wednesday morning. She was introduced to different senior officials from the department and was briefed about the office, sub-sections and other relevant information.
Speaking to the media after taking charge, Das vowed to safeguard the rights of the differently-abled in accordance with prevailing laws and guidelines.
“The first priority that I would like to give is to the safeguard their rights as envisioned in legislations made for them and other related guidelines. I have planned to interact with all the departments to ensure that proper provisions are made in all government departments for their welfare including their accessibility to public buildings,” she told Orissa POST.
When asked about the involvement of private players towards ensuring the rights of the differently-abled, she said, “I will also try to engage with the private bodies and exhort them to use their Corporate Social Responsibility Funds (CSR) funds for the welfare of the differently-abled. We would also encourage the private players to enhance facilities for the differently-abled to ensure they are at par with others in terms of their accessibility.”
The office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD) at the State level was created as per Section 60 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. It caters to the needs of the differently-able when their rights are compromised in any way. The quasi-judicial body often recommends action to the state government, issue warrant in criminal cases and have also the power to summon people found guilty or under lens for violation of their rights.
According to the Commission’s website, for the first time in the state of Odisha, an independent State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD) was appointed on 29th March 2010. Previously, the Secretary of the Women and Child Development department remained ex-officio in charge of the office. There was obviously always a shortage of time specifically to carry out the onerous responsibilities of the SCPD, the department claims.