Lok Sabha Question No. 167 (STARRED), answered on 2025-03-11
Subject: Divyangjan Friendly Infrastructure
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Ashok Kumar Rawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *167

TO BE ANSWERED ON:- 11.03.2025

## DIVYANGJAN FRIENDLY INFRASTRUCTURE

## *167   Shri Ashok Kumar Rawat:

Will the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment be pleased to state:

- (a) whether divyangjan friendly toilets are available in all the Government buildings of the States in the country, if so, the details thereof; and
- (b) whether the Government proposes to build divyangjan friendly Government buildings at district level and if so, the steps taken in this regard.

## ANSWER

Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment (Dr. Virendra Kumar)

- (a) to (b):  A statement is laid on the table of the House.

## Statement referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (a)  to  (b)  of  the  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.  167 raised  by  Shri  Ashok  Kumar  Rawat, Hon'ble Member of Parliament regarding 'Divyangjan Friendly Infrastructure' for answer on 11.03.2025.

- (a) to  (b)    Sir,  as  per  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  Act,  2016,  both  the  Centre  and States are mandated to take necessary steps for making all the Government buildings, both existing and new, accessible, including the facilities of permanent ramps, divyangjan friendly toilets, Braille signages, tactile flooring, lifts etc.

Since, 'Works, lands and buildings vested in or in the possession of the State' is a State subject, in order to facilitate the various State Governments, assistance in the form of Non-recurring grant-in-aid is  provided  to  State  Governments/UTs  and  to  autonomous  organizations/Institutions  under  the Scheme for Implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (SIPDA), for various activities relating to the Act, particularly for Creation of Barrier Free environment for Divyangjans.

Furthermore, the Central Government launched Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan)  as  a  nation-wide  initiative  for  achieving  universal  accessibility  for  Divyangjans  on December  3,  2015.  The  Campaign  has  three  important  verticals,  namely  -  Build  Environment, Transportation sector and Information and Communication Technologies ecosystem. Since 2014, the Govt. has released the grant-in-aid amounting to Rs. 686.6 Crores to the implementing agencies for making existing State/UT Government buildings accessible under the SIPDA scheme.

Besides  that,  the  Central  Government  is  closely  co-ordinating  with  the  concerned  Ministries/State Governments/UTs through regular reviews for making the remaining buildings divyangjan friendly.

This  has  resulted  in  a  positive  impact  in  terms  of  divyangjan  friendly  infrastructure  in  various avenues.  For  instance,  the  Airports  Authority  of  India  (AAI)  is  proactively  implementing  the 'Accessibility Standards and Guidelines for Civil Aviation' to ensure barrier-free built environments and services, including the provisions of Wheelchair Services, Ramps, Accessible Restrooms, Tactile Paving and Flooring, lifts, designated parking etc for divyangjans throughout its 153 domestic  and international airports.

With respect to availability of divyangjan friendly toilets in schools, as per UDISE+  report 2023-24, 97.17% of girls and co-ed schools have dedicated girls' toilet facilities, most of which are divyangjan friendly.

As mandated by the Election Commission of India, necessary steps have been taken to ensure the  Assured  Minimum  Facilities  (AMF)  including  availability  of  permanent  ramps  and  accessible (divyangjan friendly) toilets in all the 10,52,664 polling stations during the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Indian Railways has more than 8700 stations and the Railways in compliance with RPwD Act, 2016  is  making  necessary  efforts  continuously  to  provide  accessible  facilities  to  divyangjans  in railways stations, such as entrance ramps, accessible parking, low height ticket counter/help booths, toilets, sub-ways/foot over bridges with ramps/lifts etc.

In addition to the above, the following steps have also been undertaken by the Government:

-  To  audit  the  accessibility  of  various  sites,  Department  of  Empowerment  of  Persons  with Disabilities has empanelled 59 accessibility auditors.
-  Sugamya Bharat, a mobile application developed to raise issues related  to accessibility, has been revamped and made more user-friendly by involving Divyang community.

Thus,  the  Ministry  is  making  all  efforts  through  close  co-ordination  and  co-operation  with  the concerned  Ministries/Departments  as  well  as  State/UTs  governments  to  make  all  government buildings divyangjan friendly not only at district level but throughout the country.

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