Imphal, September 10: Non-appointment of a full time Commissioner and failure of the State Government to set up a separate cell in the Social Welfare Department have become a bane for the persons with disabilities (PWDs) living in the State despite enactment of a number of laws in the country for their welfare in the last 20 years.

Addressing a press conference at the Manipur Press Club here today, president of Common Forum for Persons With Disabilities (COMFORD) S Kilong lamented that none of the laws enacted by the Government of India relating to the disability sector have been implemented successfully in Manipur for the last 20 years.

The main reason for this failure of the State Government to appoint a full time Commissioner to oversee the welfare of the PWDs and absence of a separate cell in the State Welfare Department, he pointed out.

During the last 20 years, a number of laws/Acts relating to the disability sector have been enacted in India.

But the objectives of these Acts cannot be met without adequate awareness of these laws among the stakeholders as well as implementing agencies, he said ,adding that the onus of creating this awareness necessarily rests with the Government.

In this light, the State Government should take up measures at the earliest possible for appointing a full time Commissioner and open separate cell for PWDs in the State Social Welfare Department, he demanded.

Elaborating on some of the problems being faced by PWDs in Manipur, Kilong alleged that officials of the Social Welfare Department specially the Secretary do not to understand the relevant provisions and the Acts apart from the fact that they are subjected to frequent transfer thus crippling in taking up the welfare activities of the PWDs.

Forum secretary Laishram Tokendra who also spoke to the mediapersons noted that as per the Mental Health Act, 1989, the State Government should set up a Mental Hospital but there has been no such facility in the State till date.

In the absence of such facilities, the PWDs are being subjected to various harassment and their families are also suffering due to inadequate rehabilitative services in the State, he added.

He also observed that the problems being faced by the PWDs have been further compounded with the existing facilities at RIMS and JN Hospital not adequate for the growing number of mentally ill cases in the State.

The provisions of National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Celebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999 stipulates appointment of Local Level Committees (LLCs) in each of the district with District Commissioner as chairman to empower the PWDS.

But so far the LLCs have been set up only in four districts of the State, he complained.

The districts were LLCs have been set up are Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and Churachandpur.

However, whether, these LLCs function properly or not is altogether another thing, he added.

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