Delhi government rapped for ‘neglecting’ disabled in lockdown

NEW DELHI: The Court of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has expressed disappointment over the Delhi government not implementing orders that exempted physically disabled persons from being engaged in essential services during the lockdown.

“It is bewildering that Divyangjans were completely forgotten by the Delhi government. The Centre issued guidelines exempting Divyangjans from attending office. A letter dated March 24, 2020 by the MHA advised all the states to list essential services which were required during the lockdown.

A central government circular dated March 27, 2020 further instructed that all the departments, while drawing up roster for staff who are required to attend essential services, make sure that employees who are ‘Persons with Disability (PwD)’ are exempted.

Hence, it is certain that as per orders issued by the Union of India, Divyangjans were exempted from attending essential services,” read the case order written by Upma Srivastava, Commissioner, PwD. “Similar empathy is expected from all the departments and governments of all the states. Hence, absence of guidelines in a state is astonishing,” the order further read.

The reaction came after an administrative officer working at the Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) under the Delhi government wrote to the Chief Commissioner of PwD stating that he was forced to come to duty during the lockdown. Despite raising the matter to the authorities, the comp l a inant c l a ime d tha t “inhuman, discriminatory and demoralising treatment” was meted out to him.

The hospital had, during a hearing on March 2, said the Delhi government did not issue any order exempting physically disabled from attending office and since the state government did not endorse the order issued by Centre, the complainant was asked to attend office.