Over 30 buildings in Jammu and Kashmir are being refurbished to make them easily accessible for specially-abled persons, officials said.
Under the accessible India campaign (AIC), the directoratesof social welfare and health, and other office buildings at old secretariatcomplex, will be made accessible for persons with special needs, they said.
“Improvement” will be made to the buildings of civilsecretariat Srinagar, district social welfare office at old secretariat,J&K assembly complex and Srinagar municipal corporation. Also, the policeheadquarters Srinagar, police control room, offices of director disabilities,director vigilance and other buildings at old secretariat will be madedisabled-friendly, the officials said.
J&K board of school education complex at Bemina, SDAbuilding at Bemina and directorate of industries Kashmir building at residencyroad will also undergo “overhauling” in the first phase.
In the second phase, the buildings including Gousia hospitalSrinagar, chief engineer complex, M&R JehangirChowk, deputy commissioner’soffice in Bandipora and district social welfare office Bandipora will also berefurbished.
In the third phase, the buildings of chief engineer R&B,chief engineer hydraulics (PHE), chief engineer PMGSY, and offices of deputy,divisional and financial commissioners will be taken up for renovation to makethem disabled-friendly.
As reported by this newspaper, of the 25 buildingsidentified in J&K by the accessible India campaign (AIC)—a government ofIndia project that aims at identifying buildings that aredisabled-unfriendly—the civil secretariat and old secretariat Srinagar toppedthe list of most disabled-unfriendly buildings in the state.
In April 2016, an AIC audit was done by the government ofIndia through a non-governmental organisation—Swabiman. The AIC report haddeclared several government offices like divisional commissioner’s office,deputy commissioner’s office, office of director social welfare, assemblycomplex, police headquarters, PCR and district social welfare offices as “notaccessible to disabled people”.
The AIC report also stated that the buildings (or theinfrastructure) of the SMC and offices of director CAPD, chief engineerR&B, PHE and EM&RE, Srinagar development authority, Jammu developmentauthority, rail head, chief electoral office J&K are “disabled-unfriendly”.
Offices of pragatibhavan Jammu, public service commissionJ&K, service selection recruitment board, regional transport offices, BOSE,director Industries, madre-meharban institute and LAWDA also figured in thelist.
The government of India formulated the AIC “to build aninclusive society” in which equal opportunity will be provided for growth anddevelopment of persons with disability so that they can lead productive, safeand dignified lives.
As per the 2011 census, J&K has over 3.60 lakhpeople—nearly three percent of its population—with one or other disability.