District courts to hear cases of PwDs: Shylla

SHILLONG: All district sessions court have been notified to double as special courts for trial of offences against persons with disabilities (PwDs), said Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla at the state-level sensitisation workshop at Yojana Bhawan Auditorium, State Secretariat, on Thursday.
He added that the state has implemented various schemes for PwDs through the department and other allied departments and maintained that the duty of the state is to implement the New Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which was enforced in April 2017.
“The new legislation has provisions which are more elaborate for the protection of rights of persons with disabilities,” he added.
Prasanna Kumar Pincha, Special Rapporteur, Disabilities, National Human Rights Commission and former chief commissioner for PwDs, said the legislation is a path-breaking piece of legislation that seeks to recognise PwDs as valuable human resource, adding that the new legislation emphasises on the civil and political rights of PwDs.
“Persons with disabilities are inherently capable of living a life of honour and dignity contributing to the growth of the society,” he said. Pinch, who is blind from birth, also sought the cooperation of the civil societies and different departments for the successful implementation of the Act.