As part of the stricter enforcement, the government will include steps such as larger fines, penalties and non issuance of completion certificates to buildings for non-compliance with accessibility standards, officials said.
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The government is formulating “non-negotiable” and a “minimum core” set of rules in compliance with the SC’s orders on framing mandatory accessibility standards, officials of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) said Monday.
The new set of rules are being drafted in consultation with other ministries, rights bodies and stakeholders. This is being done to define what would be the minimum enforceable standards for a barrier-free environment in buildings and on digital portals.
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As part of the stricter enforcement, the government will include steps such as larger fines, penalties and non issuance of completion certificates to buildings for non-compliance with accessibility standards, officials said.
On Tuesday, the department is set to roll out around 16 initiatives, such as the standard Bharti Braille code draft to provide a unified Braille script in 13 Indian languages, on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The Centre is also set to roll out initiatives such as Sugamya Bharat Yatra. The yatra will see persons with disabilities travel across major cities and towns, and visit important public establishments to assess their accessibility and rate them accordingly, said DEPwD Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal.
An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change.
Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More
