The decision on the petition filed regarding the failure to properly follow the relevant access regulations for persons with disabilities during the renovations carried out at the railway stations from Vavuniya to Mahawa was announced today (18).
The petition was filed by the President of the Disabled Women’s Association, Mrs. N.G. Kamalawatte, and the Minister of Transport, the Secretary to the Ministry and the General Manager of Railways were named as respondents in it.
Accordingly, the court that considered the relevant petition gave a historic and unique decision under Sections 23-1 and 23-2 of the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act No. 28 of 1996, said Attorney-at-Law Isuru Mahesh Panditha.
It was decided that the respondents had violated the rights of the petitioner, a disabled person, as guaranteed by Section 23 of the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, No. 28 of 1996, as the railway stations from Mahawa to Vavuniya had not been renovated in accordance with the Access Orders No. 01 of 2006.
Accordingly, the government was ordered to pay one hundred thousand rupees as compensation to the petitioner.
It was also ordered that the railway stations from Mahawa to Vavuniya should be renovated in accordance with the Access Orders No. 01 of 2006.
It has also been ordered through this judgment that priority should be given to these renovation works and provisions should be made from the annual allocations received by the Railway Department.
It has also been ordered that the Attorney General’s Department should discuss with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respondents and submit an action plan for these renovation works to the court.