DRAG meets CM; highlights issues
THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Members of the Disabilities Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) met with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and placed before him a list of their long-pending demands.
Of the list, the installation of a lift at the Institute Menezes Braganza hall was stressed upon. “For the last four years we have been demanding accessibility for persons with disability and senior citizens at the Institute Menezes Braganza hall, Panaji, with the installation of a lift but till date there has been no response. We request you to ensure that the lift is installed at Institute Menezes Braganza with immediate effect,” said president of the association, Avelino De Sa.
Non implementation of circulars by government departments including transfer of persons with disability, setting up of a separate department for empowerment of persons with disabilities and incentives to private entrepreneurs were also on the list.
The association also highlighted the 30 buildings that were submitted by the government for the Accessible India campaign. “In the list of 30 buildings submitted by the Goa government to the Ministry of Social Justice for the Accessible India campaign, we have noticed that 15 buildings which are already accessible have been listed as inaccessible by the Goa government. This list has not been changed inspite of us bringing it to the notice of the Directorate of Social Welfare. We request you to ensure that this list is changed immediately. We also request you to put us on the monitoring committee so that we can ensure that public funds are not wasted in the name of accessibility for persons with disability,” said De Sa.
Caution was also raised on the functioning of the office of the State commissioner for person with disability. They pointed to the non existence of any staff since its commissioning in September 2015, which was in turn leading to bad functioning and grievances of persons with disability were pending for a long time.
