KOHIMA, April 22 (PTI): Nagaland State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD) on Friday asked the transport department to create facilities for persons with disabilities (PwDs) in all public transport and bus terminus across the state.
SCPD Diethono Nakhro along with a team of legal advisors and Nagaland State Disaster Forum made the appeal after inspecting the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) Kohima during the day.
“We have given them (Transport department) enough time for action to be taken and therefore we came today to inspect the implementation of the notification issued by the state government.
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“We are also taking up the matter for making the government offices and public spaces accessible for the PwDs,” she said.
Expressing happiness that the state government has already issued notification, she said “now we want to see the implementation on the ground and not just on papers”.
She asserted that the Commission would be taking up inspections in other departments in a phased manner to make sure that all the laws under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act are being implemented properly in the state.
On inspecting the ISBT Kohima, Nakhro said that “the Commission is not happy as nothing has been done as per the accessibility norms in the ISBT”.
Nonetheless, she appreciated that the officials of transport department, and transport commissioner were present to listen to their grievances and also check the unavailability of the facilities for the PwDs.
Nakhro said that they have assured to work together with the SCPD to ensure that all the facilities are put in place on priority and at the earliest.
Since the enactment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2017, the time frame for creation of such facilities was till June 2022 but so of now also the transport department has a long way to go.
“We are serious and all these have to be implemented properly,” she said. On the time frame for implementation, Nakhro said the SCPD will be filing its report and setting a timeline for putting the facilities in place within 3-6 months.
Joint secretary transport department Rozy M Athrila, transport commissioner T Elias Lotha and the divisional manager NST Kohima were also present during the inspection.
“We have taken note of the grievances expressed by the SCPD and we will have a proper sitting and wherever required improvements will be made accordingly,” Athrila told PTI.
