Central Commissioner for Disabled Persons

October 12, 2016 October 12, 2016

The office of Central Commissioner for Disabled Persons {or Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities aka CCPD} was set up under Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

Mandate

The mandate of CCPD is to take steps to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities as provisioned in PWD Act. This act enlists facilities that persons with different types of disabilities would be entitled to and the responsibilities and obligations which are placed on the Government of India, state governments, local bodies and establishments in this behalf. This act provides that there shall be a Chief Commissioner at the Government of India level and a Commissioner in each state.

Appointment

A person, who has special knowledge or practical experience with respect to matters relating to rehabilitation, is appointed as CCPD by Central Government.

Functions

Functions of CCPD include:

To co-ordinate the work of the State Commissioners
To monitor the utilization of funds disbursed by the Central Government
To take steps to safeguard the rights and facilities made available to persons with disabilities and
To submit reports to the Central Government on the implementation of the Act at such intervals as that government may prescribe.

Further, the Chief Commissioner may on his own motion or on the application of any aggrieved person or otherwise look into complaints with respect to matters relating to:

deprivation of rights of persons with disabilities and
non-implementation of laws, rules, bye-laws, regulations, executive orders, guidelines or instructions made or issued by the governments and the local authorities for the welfare and protection of rights of persons with disabilities.

Powers

For the purpose of discharging his functions CCPD has been vested with powers of a civil court in respect of the following matters:

summoning and enforcing the attendance of witnesses
requiring the discovery and production of any document
requisitioning any public record from any court or office
receiving evidence on affidavits and
issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents.

Every proceeding before the Chief Commissioner shall be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of the Indian Penal Code (1860). Also, the Chief Commissioner shall be deemed to be a Civil Court for the purposes of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.