PUNE: Maharashtra’s first special court for disabled people was set up in Pune on Wednesday. The fast track court will hear cases related to senior citizens and disabled people. Justice HR Waghmare has been nominated for the special court that will sit at the basement of the old court building at Shivajinagar. The court started its operations on Wednesday as litigants started visiting the court premises with orders coming into effect.
The state has issued notification to start such courts at eleven places in Maharashtra. Shankar Salve, a Puneite, had been actively pursuing the issue with the government for the past one decade. It was former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who gave directions for issuing notification for setting up such courts in the state. The notification states that there should be a special ramp for the disabled people.
Salve said, “It is seen that the disabled and senior citizens suffer a lot in getting justice. Me and my wife are disabled and found that there is no court for us in the city. Hence, I took up the issue with the state and the court has not being set up,” he said.
Rafique Khan, spokesperson, Prahar Apang Kranti Andolan, a city-based group of disabled activists, said, “The lack of awareness about the human rights of disabled people in the country is shocking. The disabled people have to think many times before visiting any government office because of inadequate disable-friendly infrastructure. Facilites like steps, ramps, parking, lifts, toilets and sitting arrangements for the disabled are missing at civic offices. For the functioning of the special court, I would say better late than never. The special court will result in less of physical suffering, but at the same the psychological and economic problems of ours must be taken into consideration.”
{{/usCountry}}Rafique Khan, spokesperson, Prahar Apang Kranti Andolan, a city-based group of disabled activists, said, “The lack of awareness about the human rights of disabled people in the country is shocking. The disabled people have to think many times before visiting any government office because of inadequate disable-friendly infrastructure. Facilites like steps, ramps, parking, lifts, toilets and sitting arrangements for the disabled are missing at civic offices. For the functioning of the special court, I would say better late than never. The special court will result in less of physical suffering, but at the same the psychological and economic problems of ours must be taken into consideration.”
{{/usCountry}}Khan said the disabled people of Pune aspire for setting up of a fast track court for the disabled in Pune so that the culture of delayed justice is done away with. “We extend our heartfelt wishes to the court management and the government for starting the court for our welfare and community,” he said.
Advocate Ramesh Thorat, a family court lawyer who handles cases of senior citizens and disabled persons, said, “There has been a long wait for the dedicated court and it will reduce the burden of the disabled people. At the same time, we request the government to sanction funds for computerisation of the court and digitisation of records. A large number of senior citizens and disabled will benefit from the new court and it is a good beginning in the direction of providing speedy justice to this section of society,” he said. Advocate Thorat said that court authorities must tweet and spread awareness about the issue in the media and social media platforms proactively for ensuring that a large number of citizens come to know about the new court.