Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 - The Chief Commissioner and Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities

The Chief Commissioner and Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities

(1) The Central Government may, by notification, appoint a Chief Comm-issioner for persons with disabilities for the purposes of this Act.

(2) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as the Chief Commiss-ioner unless he has special knowledge or practical experience in respect of matters relating to rehabilitation.

(3) The salary and allowances payable to and other terms and conditions of service (including pension, gratuity and other retirement benefits) of the Chief Commissioner shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

(4) The Central Government shall determine the nature and categories of officers and other employees required to assist the Chief Commissioner in the discharge of his functions and provide the Chief Commissioner with such officers and other employees as it thinks fit.

(5) The officers and employees provided to the Chief Commissioner shall discharge their functions under the general superintendence of the Chief Commissioner.

(6) The salaries and allowances and other conditions of service of officers and employees provided to the Chief Commissioner shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
The Chief Commissioner shall -

  1. coordinate the work of the Commis-sioners;
  2. monitor the utilisation of funds disbursed by the Central Government;
  3. take steps to safeguard the rights and facilities made available to persons with disabilities;
   4. submit reports to the Central Government on the implementation of the Act at such intervals as that Government may prescribe.

    Without prejudice to the provisions of section 58 the Chief Commissioner may of his own motion or on the application of any aggrieved person or otherwise look into complaints with respect to matters relating to ­

   1. deprivation of rights of persons with disabilities;
  2. non-implementation of laws, rules, bye-laws, regulations, executive orders, guidelines or instructions made or issued by the appropriate Governments and the local authorities for the welfare and protection of rights of persons with disabilities, and take up the matter with appropriate authorities.

(1) Every State Government may, by notification appoint a Commissioner for persons with disabilities for the purposes of this Act.

(2) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a Commissioner unless he has special knowledge or practical experience in respect of matters relating to rehabilitation.

(3) The salary and allowances payable to and other terms and conditions of service (including pension, gratuity and other retirement benefits) of the Commissioner shall be such as may be prescribed by the State Government.

(4) The State Government shall determine the nature and categories of officers and other employees required to assist the Commissioner in the discharge of his functions and provide the Commissioner with such officers and other employees as it thinks fit.

(5) The officers and employees provided to the Commissioner shall discharge their functions under the general superintendence of the Commissioner.

(6) The salaries and allowances and other conditions of service of officers and employees provided to the Commissioner shall be such as may be prescribed by the State Government.
The Commissioner within the State shall -

   1. coordinate with the departments of the State Government for the programmes and schemes for the benefit of persons with disabilities;
   2. monitor the utilization of funds disabused by the State Government;
   3. take steps to rewguard the rights and facilities made available to persons with disabilities;
   4. submit reports to the State Government on the implementation of the Act as such intervals as that Government may prescribe and forward a copy there of the chief Commissioner.

     Without prejudice to the provisions of section 61 the Commissioner may of his own motion or on the application of any aggrieved person or otherwise look into complaints with respect to matters relating to -

   1. deprivation of rights of persons with disabilities;
   2. non-implementation of laws, rules, bye-laws, regulations, executive orders, guidelines or instructions made or issued by the appropriate Governments and the local authorities for the welfare and protection of rights of persons with disabilities, and take up the matter with the appropriate authorities.

      (1) The Chief Commissioner and the Commissioners shall, for the purpose of discharging their functions under this Act, have the same powers as are vested in a court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 while trying a suit, in respect of the following matters, namely :-

   1. summoning and enforcing the attendance of witnesses;
   2. requiring the discovery and production of any document;
   3. requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office;
   4. receiving evidence on affidavits; and
   5. issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents.

      (1) Every proceeding before the Chief Commissioner and Commissioners shall be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of sections 193 and 228 of the Indian Penal Code and the Chief Commissioner, the Commissioner, the competent authority, shall be deemed to be a civil court for the purposes of section on 195 and Chapter XXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

•  The Chief Commissioner shall prepare in such form and at such time for each financial year as may be prescribed by the Central Government an annual report giving a full account of his activities during the previous financial year and forward a copy thereof to the Central Government.
•  The Central Government shall cause the annual report to be laid before each House of Parliament along with the recommendations explaining the action taken or proposed to be taken on the recommendation made therein in so far as they relate to the Central Government and the reasons for non-acceptance, if any, of any such recommendation or part.
  (1) The Commissioner shall prepare in such form and at such time for each financial year as may be prescribed by the State Government an annual report giving a full account of his activities during the previous financial year and forward a copy thereof to the State Government.

      (2) The State Government shall cause the annual report to be laid before each State Legislature along with the recommendations explaining the action taken or proposed to be taken on the recommendation made therein in so far as they relate to the State Government and the reasons for non-acceptance, if any, of any such recommendation or part.

Social Security

(1) The appropriate Governments and the local authorities shall within the limits of their economic capacity and development undertake or cause to be undertaken rehabilitation of all persons with disabilities.

(2) For purposes of sub-section (1), the appropriate Governments and local authorities shall grant financial assistance to non-governmental organisations.

(3) The appropriate Governments and local authorities while formulating rehabilitation policies shall consult the non-governmental organisations working for the cause of persons with disabilities.

•  The appropriate Government shall by notification frame an insurance scheme for the benefit of its employees with disabilities.
•  Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, the appropriate Government may instead of framing an insurance scheme frame an alternative security scheme for its employees with disabilities.

     The appropriate Governments shall within the limits of their economic capacity and development shall by notification frame a scheme for payment of an unemployment allowance to persons with disabilities registered with the Special Employment Exchange for more than two years and who could not be placed in any gainful occupation.