Mention steps taken by local bodies for the disabled: Bombay HC

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has directed the state to enumerate corporation wise details of money spent on disabled persons. The petitioner had claimed that local bodies which included civic corporations, zilla parishads and gram panchayat's were flouting the Disabled Persons Act wherein an annual provision of three per cent of the budget has to be made were not being followed and those local bodies that were making a provision were not spending the amount. The HC has asked the state to file details of the same within two weeks.

A division bench of justices Naresh Patil and Nitin Sambre was hearing a public interest litigation filed by All India Handicapped Development Foundation seeking directions to the state to make all local government bodies to implement the Maharashtra state welfare scheme for persons with disabilities. The petitioners through advocate Meenaz Kakalia  said that none of the local governing bodies were implementing the clauses of the scheme. The state told the HC that steps were being taken to get the local bodies to implement the scheme appropriately.