Over 1,400 accessibility-related complaints filed on govt app since 2021 launch, 75 pc solved: Data
New Delhi (PTI): More than 1,400 complaints related to accessibility have been lodged through the government's flagship Sugamya Bharat mobile application since its launch in 2021, with approximately 75 per cent of those resolved, according to official data.
The Sugamya Bharat app, designed to assist people with disabilities and the elderly, allows users to report accessibility issues in public infrastructure, transportation and buildings by uploading photos.
Information revealed following a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by PTI showed that 1,441 complaints were received on the app between 2021 and 2024. Of these, 1,081 were addressed after being forwarded to the authorities concerned.
The RTI response revealed that 647 complaints were received in the 2021-22 period, of which 567 were resolved. The following year, 530 complaints were lodged and 391 resolved. The app recorded 264 complaints in 2023-24 while 123 were addressed.
To further improve the app's functionality, the government plans to redesign the platform, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) features.
A senior Department of Disability Affairs official said the upgraded Sugamya Bharat app would become a comprehensive platform for people with disabilities, offering an AI-powered chatbot, a multilingual interface, and tools for complaint registration and feedback.
The redesign is part of the government's broader efforts to enhance accessibility across India's built environment, transportation and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) ecosystems.
A partnership has been established with the NGO Mission Accessibility and the research institute I-STEM to develop the AI-enabled app.
With more than two per cent of India's population living with disabilities, experts believe that making disabled-friendly construction compliance mandatory during building plan approvals would significantly address challenges of accessibility.
The official said the government was collaborating with IIT-Kharagpur to develop a specialised course on designing accessible buildings. This course will be introduced in 27 institutions, including other IITs.
Since the app's launch, the complaint resolution process has faced logistical challenges, particularly at the state level, but the system has now been streamlined, the official said.
Disability rights activist Dr Satendra Singh noted that earlier versions of the app had technical limitations, particularly for visually-impaired users.
"That was a gap but they are addressing it," he said.
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EC role, Hindu vote consolidation among factors for BJP win in Bengal polls: J-K CM Omar
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday attributed the BJP's West Bengal win to a "significant role" played by the Election Commission (EC), alongside a consolidation of Hindu votes and a fractured minority mandate.
Abdullah also said the INDIA bloc needs to define its role in the political landscape of the country and make it clear whether the opposition alliance was limited to the parliamentary elections or extended to the state elections as well.
Talking to PTI Videos, Abdullah hinted that the EC has compromised its neutrality by conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal and linked it to the BJP's gains in the state, claiming large-scale deletion of legitimate voters.
On the performance of the BJP in the just concluded assembly elections, Abdullah said the saffron party has almost nothing to show in southern states.
"So then you look at West Bengal and Assam. Yes, the BJP improved its tally in Assam. There are various reasons for that. You know as well as I do, what those are. West Bengal, I think we need to look at the results very carefully," he said.
"The easiest explanation for the West Bengal result is the serious curtailing of voter list," Abdullah said.
"Voters found their names deleted. People who served in uniform and fought for this country on the borders, who were considered Indian citizens all their lives, were suddenly held to a higher standard and not allowed to vote. Something is not right," he said.
While alleging that the EC played a "significant part" in the results, the chief minister admitted the outcome was multifaceted and noted a consolidation of over 60 per cent of the Hindu vote towards the BJP and a "significant fracture" in the minority vote, particularly in seats where Muslims constitute over 50 per cent of the population.
"There is no doubt that the role of the Election Commission played a significant part in the results but we will also have to look at the other factors," he said.
He said the results of West Bengal cannot be compared to those in other states. "The situation was unique to West Bengal. The SIR that was done, the way in which the voter lists were changed, the sort of minute scrutiny that the Election Commission subjected West Bengal to, the role of the central investigative agencies.
"All of these are situations that at least in recent electoral history of India are unique to West Bengal. So to suggest that we can learn lessons from West Bengal and implement them in other parts of the country, I think would not be correct," he said.
Abdullah had recently said that if the West Bengal results throw a surprise, the role of EC will come under scrutiny.
However, during Tuesday's interview, the chief minister said he still maintains that electronic voting machines (EVMs) do not lead to vote theft.
"What we saw in West Bengal...I know there are a lot of people who believe that the EVMs themselves are flawed. I am not a proponent of that conspiracy theory.
"But I do believe that the Election Commission has done itself no favours in the way in which it has gone about both the process of delimitation and the process of finalisation of electoral rolls," he said and cited the example of delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir or Assam.
"These are clear examples of how the process was done to benefit one party or in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, one party and its allies. And the results speak for themselves. You created seven new seats in Jammu and Kashmir and out of those six seats were won by the BJP. You redrew assembly constituencies to benefit one particular party or its allies. And the same is true for West Bengal as well," he said.
Referring to the INIDA bloc, he said the election results were no new message for the alliance.
"We need to decide what the INDIA bloc is for. Is it only for Parliament or for state elections as well?" he asked.
"What happened in West Bengal is unfortunate. The Congress and TMC fought against each other. Now the Congress agrees with Mamata Banerjee that 100 seats were stolen, but the fact is they fought each other," he said.
Despite the friction, Abdullah reaffirmed the "pre-eminent position" of the Congress within the opposition alliance, dismissing the idea of any other party assuming the mantle.
"The Congress is the only party other than the BJP with a pan-India presence. All of us acknowledge this," he stated.
"To suggest someone else can assume a leadership role would be incorrect. Kharge Sahib is the president of the Congress, and by virtue of that, he assumes leadership of the INDIA bloc meetings. That is the way it should be," the chief minister said.
Abdullah said any 'Common Minimum Programme' would depend on whether the opposition alliance decides to fight state assembly elections collectively, noting that he would share his specific views with the bloc internally rather than through the media.
