Disabilities Bill gets Lok Sabha nod, bias will draw 2-year jail term

New Delhi: After almost three weeks of chaos and acrimony witnessed in both the Houses over demonetisation, the Parliament on the last day of the session on Friday passed the Disabilities Bill, which stipulates up to two year jail term and a maximum fine of Rs 5 lakh for discriminating against differently-abled persons.

The Lok Sabha passed the bill within two hours after a short debate on the last day of the session with the treasury and Opposition benches, who have been at loggerheads over demonetisation and other issues, joining hands to clear the sensitive legislation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House during the passage of the bill. Earlier on Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha too had witnessed similar bonhomie for passage of The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2016.

Replying to the debate, minister of social justice and empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot announced in Lok Sabha that a scheme of “universal identity card for the disabled” is on the anvil and an agency has already been finalised for the purpose.

The proposed card would also be linked to the Aadhaar card to help the disabled all over the country in a seamless fashion, he said. Mr Gehlot said the universal identity card is being acted upon to overcome the problem of disability certificate being faced by those affected.

He said the Government has joined hands with German and British firms for making available state-of-the-art limbs to the disabled wherever possible.

Interestingly, the bill had been originally moved in 2014 in Rajya Sabha by then Union minister Mallika-rjun Kharge, who is now Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha. The bill, which aims at securing and enhancing the rights and entitlements of disabled persons, also gives effect to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and related matters.