The Social Security, Women and Child Development and Transport Minister, Punjab, Aruna Chaudhary today presided over a joint meeting of the officers of both the departments in order to review the facilities being provided to the 'Divyangjan' people (Differently Abled) by the Transport department besides striving to provide them upgraded services. In the meeting held here today at the Punjab Civil Secretariat-1 the minister ordered the officers of both the departments to ensure that the 'Divyangjan' people are provided with every facility as they are an inseparable part of our society.Mrs. Chaudhary further instructed that the free travel facility being provided to the 'Divyangjan' people is made all the more hassle free and eased. To achieve the objective it was also decided in the meeting that the identity card issued by the District Social Security Officer to these people and the unique identity cards issued on the UDID portal would be accepted to avail this facility. The Social Security department would send the details of the cards issued through UDID portal to the Transport department. In order to prevent misuse of the facility, it was also mulled that the social security department would issue vouchers to the 'Divyangjan' people for the purpose of travelling.
The cabinet minister further ordered that the viability of the system must be checked by implementing it in 2 or 3 districts as a pilot project before going in for implementing it across the entire state.Mrs. Chaudhary while directing the Transport department said that all the government buses as well as the bus stands must be brought in conformity with the requirements of the 'Divyangjan' people and the buses to be newly purchased as well as new bus stands to come up must also contain facilities benefiting such people.During the meeting, the Principal Secretary, Social Security department Mrs. Raji P. Shrivastava said that the Rights of persons with disability Act, 2016 is in enforce and it is provided in it that special arrangements be made for easy access of the 'Divyangjan' people to the government buildings, government mode of commuting (Transport Department) apart from the government websites. The Principal Secretary further elaborated that apart from reserved seats for the 'Divyangjan' people in the government buses the retro fitting would also be done so as to make the boarding of buses easier by these people.The Principal Secretary of the Transport department Mr. K. Siva Prasad on the occasion said that the facility of 2 wheelchair each and separate toilets is available for the 'Divyangjan' people at all the bus stands. He also divulged that as per the bus code instructions issued by the Union Government the provision of retro fitting would be done in the buses for the 'Divyangjan' people.On the occasion, Director, Social Security Department, Punjab, Mrs. Kavita Singh, Director Transport Mr. Tejinder Singh Dhaliwal and MD, PRTC Mr. Manjit Singh Narang were also present.