The Madras High Court has directed the authorities to constitute the State Coordination Committee under The Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, within one month. The First Bench comprising Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice M.M. Sundresh passed the order on a suo motu PIL plea based on a representation by R. Mohamed Nasrullah, an advocate, in September 2013.
The advocate had said that the visually challenged were staging a demonstration peacefully in support of their demands. But, the police treated them in a “barbaric and brutal manner.” The court said that while constituting the panel, the provisions of the 2014 Bill may also be kept in mind. The committee would serve as the State focal point on disability matters and facilitate the evolution of a comprehensive policy on solving the problems of the differently-abled.
During an earlier hearing, responding to a court order, the Joint Commissioner of Police, East Zone, Chennai, filed an affidavit stating that nearly 15 guidelines had been suggested for handling demonstration by persons with special needs.
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