Rajya Sabha nod for Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill
It stipulates up to 2-year jail term, Rs 5 lakh fine for discriminating against differently-abled.
New Delhi: With just two days remaining of the ongoing winter session of Parliament to end, the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed an unusual bonhomie between the Opposition and the Treasury Benches when it passed the Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014.
The Bill provides for a maximum imprisonment of up to two years, along with a fine ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 5 lakh for discriminating against differently-abled persons. The Bill has a clause against places of employment discriminating against persons with disabilities.
This Bill, which complies with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, has identified 21 disabilities, including for the first time disability due to acid attacks and Parkinson’s Disease.
The Upper House had been witnessing disruption over demonetisation issue and has hardly transacted any business due to disruptions and repeated adjournments since the session commenced.
The House passed the Bill which was moved earlier this month by social justice minister Thawa-rchand Gehlot, with a voice vote. It will now have to be passed by the Lok Sabha.
The existing Act — Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 — does not have any punitive clauses and had identified only seven disabilities.
The new Bill makes it clear that violation of any provision is punishable with imprisonment up to six months, and/or fine of Rs 10,000. Subsequent violations will have higher fines, but the amended version may do away with prison time.
As soon as the House met for the day, members cutting across party lines pitched for immediate passage of the “crucial” legislation without any discussion. Among those who pressed for it were leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, BSP’s Mayawati, CPM’s Sitaram Yechury and SP’s Naresh Agarwal.
MoS for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi agreed to immediately take up the Bill, which had 120 amendments. In the Bill, disability has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept and the types of disabilities have been increased from existing seven to 21.