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Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Centre Details Implementation and Support Measures
New Delhi: In response to a joint query raised by seven Members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has outlined the framework and progress of the housing reservation policy for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), including financial outlays and mechanisms to address backlog cases. The question (Unstarred No. 2062) was submitted by Dr. Kavita Patidar, Dr. Parmar Jashvantsinh Salamsinh, Dr. Anil Sukhdeorao Bonde, Dr. K. Laxman, Mokariya Rambhai, Ryaga Krishnaiah, and Narhari Amin. They sought details on the estimated number of beneficiaries under the 4% housing reservation policy, infrastructure funding aligned with Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan guidelines, and measures to address pending cases under the disability quota. Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, B. L. Verma, clarified that under Section 37 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, appropriate governments and local authorities are required to provide a 5% reservation in housing and agricultural land schemes for individuals with benchmark disabilities, with a special emphasis on prioritizing women. However, since land and housing are State subjects, implementation is carried out by individual States and Union Territories. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U), Rs 119.26 lakh has been disbursed to States/UTs for the sanction of 84,864 houses for PwDs. In PMAY-U 2.0, preference is extended to vulnerable groups including PwDs, widows, single women, senior citizens, and transgenders. Additionally, up to 4% of General Pool Residential Accommodation vacancies are reserved monthly for PwDs. The Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G) aims to construct 2 crore additional houses in rural areas between 2024 and 2029. As of August 4, 2025, a total of 44,991 housing units have been sanctioned for persons with disabilities (PwDs) under the PMAY-G scheme. States are encouraged to ensure that at least 5% of the beneficiaries under PMAY-G are individuals with benchmark disabilities, with a priority given to women. Households with disabled members and no able-bodied adults receive higher deprivation scores to ensure priority in allotment. To support infrastructure accessibility, Rs 73.12 crore has been earmarked for FY 2025–26 under the Scheme for Implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), which funds barrier-free environments in buildings, transport, and ICT systems. The Ministry affirmed that while implementation varies by state, the central government continues to provide financial and policy support to ensure inclusive housing access for persons with disabilities.
Hans India
30-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Cochin Shipyard Advances Maritime Sustainability with Industry 4.0-Ready Plate Cutting Machine
New Delhi: India's maritime sector witnessed a strategic leap forward as Cochin Shipyard Limited commenced operations of its newly inaugurated Industry 4.0-ready plate cutting machine, aligning with the country's broader vision for digital transformation in shipping infrastructure. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways confirmed in the Rajya Sabha that the cutting-edge machine is now functional, marking a significant step towards automation and precision manufacturing in shipbuilding. This response was provided to a question raised by Dr. K. Laxman, Dr. Kavita Patidar, Narayana Koragappa, and Dr. Medha Vishram Kulkarni in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Additionally, the Ministry has launched the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP), a phased initiative aimed at decarbonising tugboat operations at major Indian ports. Under this programme, traditional diesel-fueled harbour tugs will be gradually replaced with hybrid and fully electric tugs to reduce environmental impact and improve fuel efficiency. To support domestic shipbuilding, the government amended the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy in August 2023. The revised policy provides flat financial support of 30% for vessels powered by green fuels such as methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen fuel cells. Vessels with fully electric or hybrid propulsion are eligible for a flat 20% financial assistance. In line with these reforms, the Harit Nauka guidelines were introduced to promote eco-friendly technologies in inland waterway vessels. These measures are part of India's broader maritime decarbonization strategy, which aims to increase the share of green vessels in the national fleet while fostering sustainable innovation in ship construction. The government's comprehensive efforts highlight a transformative shift toward cleaner, smarter, and more resilient maritime operations.
Hans India
29-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Number of pending consumer cases has risen by 12,021 in 2025 so far: Data
New Delhi: The number of consumer complaints pending in commissions and district fora across the country at the start of 2025 has risen by 12,021 in the first seven months of the current year, the Rajya Sabha was informed. Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution B. L. Verma said in a written reply that as many as 76,318 consumer complaints were filed in courts across the country this year till July 22. During this period, as many as 64,297 consumer cases, including those which were filed in previous years, were disposed of in consumer courts, the minister said. Thus, the number of fresh complaints filed this year is higher by 12,021 than the number of matters disposed by consumer fora till July 22, 2025. The MoS, in response to questions by MPs Kavita Patidar and Manan Kumar Mishra on pending cases in consumer commissions, said the number of matters filed from 2022 till July 22 this year is 5.99 lakh. The Minister said that as many as 5.91 lakh consumer complaints have been disposed of by consumer courts from 2022 till July 22 this year. The matters disposed of also included backlog from previous years. In 2024, as many as 1,73,160 consumer complaints were filed, while 1,58,290 cases, including backlog from previous years, were disposed of, as shown in data shared by the Minister. The number of consumer cases filed in 2022 and 2023 was 1,75,676 and 1,74,278, respectively. The number of cases disposed of during 2022 and 2023 was 1,82,870 and 1,85,777, respectively. MoS Verma informed the Rajya Sabha that 685 district consumer courts are functional across the country, in addition to 10 benches of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and 35 benches of State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRC). A maximum of 79 district consumer fora are operating in Uttar Pradesh, followed by 48 in Madhya Pradesh, the MoS said. He said that to serve the interest of speedy justice to the end consumers, the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 states that no adjournment shall ordinarily be granted by the consumer commissions unless sufficient cause is shown and the reasons for the grant of adjournment have been recorded in writing by the Commission. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, says that every complaint shall be disposed of as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made to decide the complaint within a period of three months from the date of receipt of notice by opposite party where the complaint does not require analysis or testing of commodities and within five months if it requires analysis or testing of commodities.
