Saturday 27th July 2024
In the latest decision related to public infrastructure development in Nepal, the Government of Nepal directed officials to strictly consider ‘people with disabilities’ in the process.
In a latest move, the Nepal Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) issued a circular directing all the local bodies to strictly follow the building code for ‘right implementation of disabled-friendly physical infrastructure’.
The move came in response to the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens (MWoCSC) complaints over faults in implementation of the building code.
Citing Article 42 (3) of the Accessible Physical Structure and Communication Service Directive for Persons with Disabilities-2013 Act, the Women Ministry pitched for equality in ‘access to public services’ for the people with physical impairments.
“Despite the legal provisions regarding disabled-friendly infrastructures and the duty and responsibility of the concerned authorities to fully implement the laws, municipalities and rural municipalities have yet to take these issues into consideration while granting approval to design and drawings,” MoWCSC said in a statement.
Even the government-funded buildings and other infrastructures constructed or being constructed are not disabled-friendly, it added.
In response, MoFAGA urged local bodies to address the concerns affecting disabled through proper implementation of the code.
“Local levels should not pass the blueprint of any house or building which is not disabled-friendly,” the Ministry said.
Directives of this kind matter a lot for a country like Nepal that has been relentlessly fighting for rights and social justice.
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