Sugamya Bharat app: Over half of accessibility-related complaints pending for resolution with states

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) Over half of the complaints about accessibility-related problems in buildings and public transport that were received from people with disabilities and the elderly on the Sugamya Bharat app are pending resolutions with states and Union Territories.

Responding to an RTI query filed by PTI, the Department of Disabilities said according to the status report of the Sugamya Bharat App, 1,009 complaints were received through the app of which 348 were disposed of at the project management unit (PMU) level after screening and 661 have been forwarded to authorities concerned.

Out of the 661 forwarded complaints, 152 are reported to be completed through the portal of Sugamya Bharat App and 509 complaints are pending resolution with the authorities concerned in states and Union Territories, it said.

Asked about the reason behind the complaints still pending, the Department of Disability Affairs in an RTI reply said the complaints received through the Sugamya Bharat App are directly forwarded to the authorities concerned in states and Union Territories with requests to take appropriate action to make the premises accessible.

"There is no specific reason for non-redressal of the grievances available," the department said.

However, sources at the department said there are practical problems related to logistics associated with the resolution of some complaints which is the main reason for the backlog with the states.

Among states and Union Territories, Gujarat has received the highest number of complaints on the app at 406 out of which 311 are pending resolution. Delhi has received the second highest number of complaints on the app at 128 and out of that 60 are pending.

As many as 55 complaints were received on the Sugamya Bharat app from Uttar Pradesh and 23 are pending resolution.

A total of 44 complaints were received from Maharashtra and just two are pending while 38 complaints were received from Bihar and six are pending resolution.

Sugamya Bharat app is a crowdsourcing mobile application launched in March last year. It aims at sensitising and enhancing accessibility in the three pillars of the Accessible India Campaign – built environment, transportation sector and ICT ecosystem. PTI UZM NSD NSD