Awareness programme on ‘Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act’ held in Kokrajhar

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KOKRAJHAR: An awareness-cum-sensitization programme on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, was organized on Thursday at the District Commissioner’s Conference Hall, Kokrajhar. The programme was organized by the Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Assam, in collaboration with the Office of the District Commissioner, Kokrajhar, with the objective of enhancing awareness among officials regarding the rights, entitlements, and welfare measures for persons with disabilities.

The programme was attended by Sushama Hazarika, Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Assam, Pankaj Chakravarty, District Commissioner, Kokrajhar, along with ADCs, heads of departments, CDPOs, and other district-level officials and staff members.

Addressing the gathering, District Commissioner Pankaj Chakravarty emphasized that it was the moral responsibility of all government officials as well as citizens to recognize, respect, and uplift persons with disabilities and to actively work towards eliminating social taboos associated with disability. He highlighted the importance of creating awareness about the rights of persons with disabilities and spoke about the steps undertaken to ensure their inclusion in democratic processes, including facilities such as home voting during elections. The district commissioner also lauded the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities for her valuable time and guidance.

Attending the programme as resource person, Rajeev Bharadwaj from the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of India, elaborated on the provisions of the Rights of PwDs Act, 2016. He stated that the act, enacted on December 28, 2016, and implemented from April 19, 2017, defines disability as an evolving and dynamic concept and has expanded the number of recognized disabilities from 7 to 21. He informed that both the Government of India and the Government of Assam had initiated various measures to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities so that they could enjoy equal rights and opportunities like other citizens. He appealed to all concerned departments to ensure the availability of disability-friendly facilities in government offices and stressed the importance of inclusive education for children with disabilities. He further urged the Health Department to take timely steps for issuing disability certificates so that persons with disabilities could avail benefits under the Unique Disability Identity (UDID) Card, provided by the government to each person with disabilities.

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