Lok Sabha Question No. 3950 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-25
Subject: Divyangjans Friendly Infrastructure
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3950 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2025

## DIVYANGJANS FRIENDLY INFRASTRUCTURE

## 3950  Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy :

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

(a)  the  key  challenges  in  ensuring  full  compliance  with  accessibility  standards  in  public  and private infrastructure, despite such provisions under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016;

(b) the measures  taken by the  Government  to  address gaps in accessibility in public transportation, particularly in metro stations, buses, and railway networks across tier-2 and tier-3 cities;

(c)  the  steps  being  taken  to  ensure  that  accessibility  audits  of  public  buildings,  including hospitals,  educational  institutions,  and  Governments  Offices,  lead  to  actual  infrastructural improvements rather than just compliance reports;

(d) the extent to which urban planning policies can be better aligned with accessibility guidelines to  ensure  that  new  developments,  including  smart  cities,  are  truly  inclusive  for  persons  with disabilities; and

(e)  the  mechanisms  in  place  to  increase  accountability  and  ensure  that  funds  allocated  for disabled-friendly infrastructure under schemes like SIPDA (Scheme for implementing of Persons with Disabilities Act) and Accessible India Campaign are utilized effectively?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT

(SHRI B. L. Verma)

(a) to (e):  Since,  'Works, lands and buildings vested in or in the possession of the State' is a State subject, the Central Government plays a crucial supportive role in assisting States to ensure compliance  with  accessibility  standards.  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.  Further,  the  Central Government  is  closely  coordinating  with  the  concerned  Ministries/State  Governments/UTs through regular reviews for making the buildings divyangjan friendly.

The Central Government has notified the Accessibility Standards and Guidelines for Civil Aviation, Accessibility Standards for Bus Body Code and Guidelines on accessibility of Indian Railway  stations  and  facilities  at  stations  for  differently  abled  persons  (Divyangjan)  and passengers with reduced mobility in the RPwD Rules framed under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Further, The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan)  has  partnered  with  the Indian Institute  of  Technology,  Kharagpur  for  the development  of  courses  on  Inclusive  Urban  Planning  and  Accessible  Built  Environment  for students  of  B.  Plan  and  B.  Tech  (Civil  Engineering)  in  AICTE  model  curriculum.  Training course on accessibility has been prepared in collaboration with Council of Architecture.

To  increase accountability and  ensure  that funds allocated for divyangjan-friendly infrastructure under schemes like SIPDA (Scheme for implementing of Persons with Disabilities Act)  and  Accessible  India  Campaign  are  utilized  effectively,  the  Department  regularly  follow ups with the implementing agencies to submit the progress report and utilization certificates.

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