The Uttar Pradesh government has taken strong exception to the consistent non-compliance (by some departments) with provisions of law that require all its buildings to have access for Specially Abled Persons.
The “Divyangjan Adhikar Adhiniyam-49/2016 notified on December 28, 2016 (Sections 44 and 45) provides for making all public buildings friendly for specially abled persons by making smooth access to the public places within five years.
In an order dated July 28, 2022 issued to all the additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries and secretaries to different departments, chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra said “Reports about the buildings made specially abled friendly and the ones that could not be made so should be submitted to specially abled empowerment department by August 12, 2022 and the above guidelines should be strictly implemented.”
Taking note of the provisions made under Divyangjan Adhikar Adhiniyam Section 44 and 45, the chief secretary said, “I have been directed to say that necessary directives be issued to make all the buildings friendly for physically challenged persons through sources of state budget as per the provisions of the state government’s orders dated October 4, 2018, December 18, 2020, January 15, 2021, February 02, 2021, June 22, 2021 and March 4, 2021. Directives may also be issued to make all the buildings, to be constructed in future, friendly for physically challenged persons.”
The chief secretary also said the Union government has now released Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021 that give detailed directives for making the buildings friendly for physically challenged persons.
