Courts for disabled persons set up in all districts of Delhi

The government has set up special courts in all districts of the Capital to fast-track cases of alleged violation of disability laws, senior officials said on Sunday.

This initiative is mandatory under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, but it was caught up in a tussle over who would be the “competent authority” to approve the notification – the elected Aam Aadmi Party government or Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

The provision for special courts was notified by the Delhi government on August 19 with the approval of Delhi’s law minister and it is currently in effect, and the process of appointing special prosecutors in these courts will soon begin, senior officials said. “These courts will not only help fast-track cases but they will also empower the state commissioner and complainants,” said TD Dhariyal, commissioner for person with disabilities in Delhi.