Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 - Central Coordination Committee

The Central Coordination Committee

      The Central Government shall by notification constitute a body to be known as the Central Coordination Committee to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to it, under this Act.The Central Coordination Committee shall consist of:-

   1. the Minister in charge of the Depfartment of Welfare in the Central Government, Chairperson, ex officio;

•  National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, Dehradun;
•  National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, Secundrabad;
•  National Institute for the Orthopaedically Handicapped, Calcutta;
•  Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, Mumbai, Members, ex officio;

  11. four Members to be nominated by the Central Government by rotation to represent the States and the Union territories in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government: Provided that no appointment under this clause shall be made except on the recommendation of the State Government or, as the case may be, the Union territory;

    1. Save as otherwise provided by or under this Act a Member of Central Coordination Committee nominated under clause (i) or clause (1) of sub-section (2) of section 3 shall hold office for a term of three years from the date of his nomination;

      Provided that such a Member shall, notwithstanding the expiration of his term, continue to hold office until his successor enters upon his office.

   2. The term of office an ex officio Member shall come to an end as soon as he ceases to hold the office by virtue of which he was so nominated.

   3. The Central Government may if it thinks fit remove any Member nominated under clause (i) or clause (1) of sub-section (2) of section 3, before the expiry of his term of office after giving him a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against the same.

   4. A Member nominated under clause (i) or clause (1) of sub-section (2) of section 3 may at any time resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to the Central Government and the seat of the said Member shall thereupon become vacant.

   5. A casual vacancy in the Central Coordination Committee shall be filled by a fresh nomination and the person nominated to fill the vacancy shall hold office only for the remainder of the term for which the Member in whose place he was so nominated.

   6. A Member nominated under clause (i) or clause (1) of sub-section (2) of section 3 shall eligible for renomination.

      (1) Members nominated under clause (i) and clause (1) of sub-section (2) of section 3 shall receive such allowances as may be prescribed by the Central Government. (1) No person shall be a Member of the Central Coordination Committee, who-

• is, or at any time has been, adjudged insolvent or has suspended payment of his debts or has compounded with his creditors, or
• is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court, or
• is or has been convicted of an offence which, in the opinion of the Central Government, involves moral turpitude, or
• is or at any time has been convicted of an offence under this Act, or
• has so abused in the opinion of the Central Government his position as a Member as to render his continuance in the Central Coordination Committee detrimental to the interests of the general public.

    (2) No order of removal shall be made by the Central Government under this section unless the Member concerned has been given a resonable opportunity of showing cause against the same.

   (3) Not withstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) or sub-section (6) of section 4, a Member who has been removed under this section shall not be eligible for renomination as a Member.

If a Member of the Central Coordination Committee becomes subject to any of the disqualifications specified in section 5, his seat shall become vacant.

The Central Coordination Committee shall meet at least once in every six months and shall observe such rules of procedure in regard to the transaction of business at its meetings as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

      (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the function of the Central Coordination Committee shall be to serve as the national focal point on disabilty matters and facilitate the continuous evolution of a comprehensive policy towards solving the problems faced by persons with disabilities.

      (2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Central Coordination Committee may perform all or any of the following functions, namely :

• review and coordinate the activities of all the Departments of Government and other Governmental and non-Governmental Organisations which are dealing with matters relating to persons with disabilities;
• develop a national policy to address issues faced by persons with disabilities;
• advise the Central Government on the formulation of policies, programmes, legislation and projects with respect to disability;
• take up the cause of persons with disabilities with the concerned authorities and the international organisations with a view to provide for schemes and projects for the disabled in the national plans and other programmes and policies evolved by the international agencies;
• review in consultation with the donor agencies their funding policies from the perspective of their impact on persons with disabilities;
• take such other steps to ensure barrier free environment in Public places, work places, public utilities, schools and other institutions;
• monitor and evaluate the impact of policies and programmes designed for achieving equality and full participation of persons with disabilities;
• to perform such other functions as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

            (1) The Central Government shall constitute a Committee to be known as the Central Executive Committee to perform the functions assigned to it under this Act.

            (2) The Central Executive Committee shall consist of -

                   1. the Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Welfare, Chairperson, ex officio;

       (3) Member nominated under clause (i) and clause (i) of sub-section (2) shall receive such allowances as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

      (4) A Member nominated under clause (i) or clause (i) of sub-section (2) may at any time resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to the Central Government and the seat of the said Member shall thereupon become vacant.

          (i) The Central Executive Committee shall be the executive body of the Central Coordination Committee and shall be responsible for carrying out the decisions of the Central Coordination Committee:

         (ii) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (1), the Central Executive Committee shall also perform such other functions as may be delegated to it by the Central Coordination Committee.

         The Central Executive Committee shall meet at least once in three months and shall observe such rules of procedure in regard to the transaction of business at its meetings as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

           (i) The Central Executive Committee may associate with itself in such manner and for such purposes as may be prescribed by the Central Government any person whose assistance or advice it may desire to obtain in performing any of its functions under this Act.

          (ii) A person associated with the Central Executive Committee under sub-section (1) for any purpose shall have the right to take part in the discussions of the Central Executive Committee relevant to that purpose, but shall not have a right to vote at a meeting of the said Committee, and shall not be a member for any other purpose.

          (iii) A person associated with the said Committee under sub-section (1) for any purpose shall be paid such fees and allowances, for attending its meetings and for attending to any other work of the said Committee, as may be prescribed by the Central Government.