BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan urges for full RPwD Act rollout

BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan urged the Telangana government to ensure proper implementation of the RPwD Act, 2016, stating that five per cent reservation in higher education alone was insufficient. He highlighted gaps in awareness, facilities and support for families.

Hyderabad: BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan demanded that the State government move beyond paper-thin compliance and ensure proper implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. He welcomed the State government’s recent decision to enforce five per cent reservation for persons with disabilities in higher education.

Speaking in the State Legislative Council on Monday, Sravan cautioned that the move addressed only a small part of the problem. He said parents of children with disabilities were forced to run from pillar to post for basic entitlements such as education. “Without systemic reform, the Act remains an unfulfilled promise for thousands of families,” he said.

---

The BRS MLC pointed to poor awareness among educators, lack of early diagnostic facilities and growing dependence on costly private centres, which affected poor and middle-class families. Despite the RPwD Act recognising 21 categories of disabilities, including autism, mental illness and chronic neurological conditions, he warned that the gap in implementation had become a serious social concern.

Sravan outlined a clear roadmap, calling for five per cent reservation and financial support from the primary level across public and private institutions, government-funded therapy centres, compulsory appointment of psychologists and special educators in schools, full fee concessions and scholarships, and a dedicated monitoring mechanism at the State and district levels. He stressed the need for cooperation between the government, educational institutions, medical bodies and NGOs to ensure equal opportunity for every child.