Hyderabad, Nov.26 (NSS): Ponugoti Chokka Rao, vice-president, All India Confederation of the Blind, Delhi/Hyderabad and N Paramesha, treasurer, Development & Welfare Association of the Blind, Telangana, Hyderabad today said they were working for the Blind consistently taking up with the successive Telangana State governments for the past eight years to appoint an independent State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities as per RPwD Act 2016, as against the Government giving additional responsibility of State Commissioner to the Director, Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens & Transgender.
“This is against the natural justice and dual responsibility creates conflict of interest. The Director cannot function without fear and favour towards the State government because the Director is a Government servant and will be subservient to the Government. However, the successive Governments of Telangana turned a deaf ear to our requests. The Acts like RPwD Act 2016 are only on Paper and are not implemented in letter and spirit. The Independent State Commissioner for Disabled would have looked at the issues relating to the Disabled and blind people with an independent view and acted accordingly, doing justice to the Disabled”.
They said the apathy of the Governments towards the Disabled is painful and depressing. “Is it because the disabled in general and blind people in particular are miniscule in number and do not come under their vote banks, are the departments working for the Disabled/Blind are considered as some Movies where the producer, director, screenplay, editor can be one person? The lethargic and step motherly attitude towards the Disabled and Blindclearly shows their lack of interest and empathy towards the disabled and blind.
“After going through a consistently humiliating response from the Government, we were left with no other option but to approach Telangana High Court to file a Petition to direct the Government to act on this on priority. We are happy to state that the High Court has accepted our petition to appoint an Independent State Commissioner and directed the Government to respond by 2nd December 2024. We once again request the Government of Telangana to appoint an Independent State Commissioner for the welfare of Disabled without any further delay”, they added.
