The Centre has lauded the efforts of the disability commissioner for his efforts to redress grievances of the disabled in Jharkhand, which has outshone other states in providing justice to a section of society that is often ignored.

A letter dated March 12 from the office of the chief commissioner for persons with disabilities, under the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment, hailed Satish Chandra for successful use of “mobile courts” in Jharkhand.

T.D. Dhariyal, the deputy chief commissioner for persons with disabilities, in his letter, observed that since 2008, 22 mobile courts were held in districts of Jharkhand, which resulted in the disposal of highest number of cases related to the disabled in the country.

“Since 2008, Jharkhand registered 8,226 cases, of which 5,079 (62 per cent) were registered and solved through mobile courts. It is the highest number of cases registered and disposed in three years (till December 2011) in India. Considering the immense usefulness of mobile courts/camps, the commissioner of other states should also take a cue from Jharkhand and organise such meets at district, block and panchayat levels,” Dhariyal said in the letter, which has been forwarded to other states.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Chandra said the rationale behind mobile courts was to reach out to people in remote areas and deliver on-the-spot solutions to their problems.

“Initially, it was a bit difficult as not many used to turn up at the courts. Later, once we launched awareness campaigns, the mobile courts began attracting good numbers as people with disability came forward to share their problems with us without any fear and also received instant solutions,” said Chandra.

He stressed that maintaining transparency in the redress mechanism was the main reason for its success.

“Apart from government officials concerned at the district level, I also took on-board like-minded NGOs and people engaged in advocacy activities in my team. NGOs who work at the ground level would register grievances alongside district officials to prevent forging of figures. Officials at the mobile courts hear and provide solutions on the spot,” he added.

The cases relate to admission of children to schools, disability certificates and job quota, among others.

With 900, Giridih registered the highest number of complaints with mobile courts, followed by Chatra (521), Simdega (490) and Koderma (423). More than 90 per cent of the cases were solved on the spot.

To drive home transparency, Chandra said, “A copy of the action taken report is also sent to government departments and the complainant so that he/she doesn’t have to take great pains to know the outcome by filing an RTI application. Once we achieved transparency, the entire process picked up speed.”

The commissioner, however, conceded that there was still a lot to be done. Chandra said the government machinery was slow, as a result of which various schemes failed to benefit the target groups.

“We need to understand that people with disabilities are different from the rest of us. They won’t approach the government to get benefits. The government has to be on their doorstep to help, educate and raise their awareness.”

Chandra also advised the state government to prioritise setting up skill-based job-oriented centres and implement right to education among the disabled.

“A teacher-student ratio of 1:10 should be ensured while educating disabled children, besides launching centres that can guarantee jobs and promise them social inclusion in the true sense,” he said.