New Delhi: A law for persons with disability is being amended to facilitate their easy movement at workplaces and ensure protection of rights in garnering employment opportunities in government as well as private establishments, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Mukul Wasnik said the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995 would be amended in line with UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability
and keeping in mind ever changing work environment and greater evolution in technology for the disabled over the years.
He said the first draft of the proposed amendments was placed before Central Coordination Committee on July 21 this year for discussion.
"Based on the comments received in this meeting, a revised draft of the amendments has been circulated to all state governments and Central ministries in September this year. The draft has also been posted on the website of the ministry inviting comments from stakeholders and general public," Wasnik said.
The minister also said he would look into the matter of the railway ministry having cancelled the pass for escorts of visually challenged persons.
"I will take up the matter with railway minister Mamata Banerjee as to why passes for a blind person's escorts has been cancelled," he said answering a supplementary.
Wasnik added that a committee has been formed in coordination with National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) to look into the discrepancies in the figures of number of
physically handicapped persons in the country.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, December 17, 2009, 13:46