The social welfare department has received Rs 5.86 crore from the Centre to install ramps and lifts for persons with disability at some prominent buildings in the state capital.

At present, none of these buildings has such facilities. The Centre has allocated the funds under the Scheme of Implementation of Persons with Disability Act (SIPDA), 1995.

The lifts for the people with disability would be installed at the high court, the new secretariat and Vishwesharaiya Bhawan, while the ramps would come up at all state-run medical hospitals and some primary health centres.

“The people with disability face a lot of problem while visiting these public buildings that do not have ramps or lifts they can use. For them, the most difficult task is to climb the dozen stairs in these offices. We have received Rs 5.28 crore from the social justice and empowerment ministry and will use the amount to install ramps and disabled-friendly lifts. The facilities, which would come up at some prominent public buildings, would be of much benefit for the people with disability,” state social welfare minister Parveen Amanullah said.

“Ramps would be installed at some selected primary he-alth centres operating from two-or three-storey buildings at the sub-divisional level. Ramps would be installed at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital, Anugrah Narayan Medical College and Hospital, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital and Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital. Lifts for persons with disability would be installed at the high court, the secretariat and Vishwesharaiya Bhavan,” she added. The PMCH has a few ramps, but the number will be increased.

According to sources, the social welfare department would provide the amount to the building construction department within a week, so that it could soon start construction in the identified buildings. The sources added that the social welfare department would ask the building construction department to finish the work within seven-eight months.

Shivajee, the managing director of Samarpan, a non-government organisation working for the rehabilitation of children with disabilities, said: “Such facilities should come up at all public buildings. He added: “The Persons With Disability Act says that the state government should utilise three per cent of its total funds for such people. But this has not been materialised yet. I am happy to know ramps and lifts for people with disabilities are going to be installed at some major public buildings.”

Rakesh Kumar, 24, who is orthopaedic ally disabled, said: “It’s a positive initiative by the social welfare department has a long way to go. Educational institutes should have similar facilities as well.”

Saket, a second-year student of Polytechnic College, Patna, said: “It takes around 10 minutes for me to climb the stairs, while my friends do it in a minute. I wish our institute had similar facilities.”