- Steering Committee: (1) There shall be a Steering Committee for the functions including to co-ordinate, monitor, promote the activities related to the rights, facilities, services and protection of the persons with disabilities and to give direction in the activities related thereto.
(2) The formation of the Steering Committee shall be as follows:
(a) Minister, Ministry of Women, Children and
Senior Citizens -Chairperson
(a1) A member nominated by the Steering
Committee from among the members
referred to in clause (r) -Vice-chairperson
(b) Member, National Planning Commission
(responsible for social service) -Member
(c) Chief Secretary of the Government Nepal -Member
(d) Secretary, Ministry of Women,
Children and Senior Citizens -Member
(e) Secretary, Ministry of Finance -Member
(f) Secretary, Ministry of Law, Justice and
Parliamentary Affairs -Member
(g) Secretary, Ministry of Home -Member
(h) Secretary, Ministry of Federal Affairs
and General Administration -Member
(i) Secretary, Ministry of Health and Population -Member
(j) Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Employment
and Social Security -Member
(k) Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science
and Technology -Member
(l) Secretary, Ministry of Physical
Infrastructure and Transportation -Member
(m) Member Secretary, Social Welfare Council -Member
(n) President, Federation of Nepal Chamber of
Commerce and Industry -Member
(o) Chairperson, National Federation of
Persons with Disabilities -Member
(p) National Coordinator, Community-based
Rehabilitation Network -Member
(q) Two persons including one woman from
among the experts in the field of disability -Member
(r) Ten persons including at least five women on the
basis of the principle of inclusion in such a manner
as to have representation from the different
groups of disabilities from among the
organisations, associations, federations at the
national level and the institutions involved in
the field of human rights -Member
(r1) Two persons from among the persons with
disabilities that have rendered important
contribution at the national level -Member
(s) Two persons including one woman from
among the service provider institutions
related to disability -Member
(t) Chief of the concerned Division
of the Ministry -Member Secretary
(3) The Ministry shall nominate the members referred to in clauses (q), (r), (r1) and (s) of sub-section (2), and the term of office of such members and the Vice-chairperson nominated pursuant to clause (a1) shall be two years.
(4) If any Member nominated pursuant to sub-section (2) fails to perform the duties of his or her office, the Ministry may, at any time, remove such a Member from office.
(5) In removing any Member from office pursuant to sub-section (4), he or she shall be provided with an opportunity to defend himself or herself.
(6) The secretariat of the Steering Committee shall be situated in the Ministry.
- Functions, duties and powers of the Steering Committee: The functions, duties, and powers of the Steering Committee shall be as follows:
(a) To make recommendation to the Government of Nepal for the formulation of long-term policies related to disability,
(b) To prepare and implement the disability related plans and programs subject to the policies approved by the Government of Nepal,
(c) To pursue, or cause to be pursued, appropriate measures for the full enjoyment of human rights and basic freedoms of the persons with disabilities without any discrimination, by using, protecting and promoting the rights, services, facilities and opportunities of the persons with disabilities,
(d) To make coordination between the various governmental bodies or non-governmental organisations in the activities related to disability,
(e) To make suggestion to the Government of Nepal for improvement, if any, in the prevailing law related to disability,
(f) To have conducted research on latest technology of the equipment or goods used for the services and facilities of the persons with disabilities and to make additional improvement and development, and to promote, or cause to be promoted, the availability and use of such equipment in this sector,
(g) To provide, or cause to be provided, training to the concerned persons and employees about the role of various bodies on the matters of the rights of the persons with disabilities,
(h) To enhance, or cause to be enhanced, public awareness about the conditions that may cause disability, precaution for the prevention of disability, and the behaviour and assistance that should be made for the respect of the rights of the persons with disabilities,
(i) To provide interpreter service to the persons who are deaf and who have sight and hearing disabilities, to make research, development and promotion of Nepali sign language and, for that purpose, to develop, or cause to be developed, necessary glossaries and touch communication,
Explanation: For the purposes of this clause, the term “interpreter” means a sign language translator that facilitates in the communication of the deaf or the persons with hard of hearing, a captioner for the persons with hard of hearing or a touch communication translator that facilitates in the communication for the persons with hearing and sight disabilities.
(j) To approve necessary policies in order to make the physical structures accessible to the persons with disabilities,
(k) To prepare and implement necessary programs by specifying the time limit, in order to make easy the access of the persons with disabilities to public places including hospitals, sports grounds, roads, public and governmental, Local Level means of public transportation, roads, toilets, bus parks and parks,
(l) To assist in the functioning of the institutions that work for the rights, interests, promotion, protection of the rights, services and facilities of the persons with disabilities and to collaborate with such institutions,
(m) To monitor, supervise and evaluate the various programmes launched for the persons with disabilities,
(n) To make study, research, collection, processing and publication of information, on disability,
(o) To have the concerned bodies include appropriate provisions in their programs in order to implement the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
(p) To write to the concerned body for necessary action if any activity or action is found to have been carried out by any person contrary to the rights or interests of the persons with disabilities,
(q) To formulate, or cause to be formulated, appropriate policies, plans and programs for the implementation of the commitments expressed by the Government of Nepal with respect to disabilities at the international level,
(r) To do, or cause to be done, such other acts as prescribed.
- Procedures relating to meeting: (1) The meeting of the Steering Committee shall be held at least one time in every three months.
(2) The meeting of the Steering Committee shall be held on such place, date and time as specified by the Chairperson and in his or her absence, by the Vice-Chairperson.
(3) The Member Secretary of the Steering Committee shall give notice of the meeting to the Members at least in advance of forty-eight hours of the meeting.
(4) The presence of more than fifty percent Members of the total number of Members of the Steering Committee shall be deemed to constitute a quorum for a meeting of the Steering Committee.
(5) The meeting of the Steering Committee shall be presided over by the Chairperson and in his or her absence by the Vice-Chairperson.
(6) The opinion of the majority at a meeting of the Steering Committee shall be deemed to be the decision of the Steering Committee and in the event of a tie, the Chairperson shall exercise the casting vote.
(7) The Steering Committee may invite any official or expert in the concerned field to its meeting.
(8) The decisions of the meetings of the Steering Committee shall be attested by the Member Secretary of the Steering Committee.
(9) Other procedures relating to the meetings of the Steering Committee shall be as determined by the Steering Committee itself.
- Power to form committee at Province level: (1) The Provincial Government may form a Province level committee chaired by the Minister responsible for the concerned subject for performing functions, inter alia, implementing, or causing to be implemented, effectively the rights of the persons with disabilities and preparing and implementing necessary programs on the rights of the persons with disabilities by the Provincial Government, in accordance with this Act and the Rules framed hereunder.
(2) The functions, duties and powers of the committee formed pursuant to sub-section (1) shall be as determined by the Provincial Government, subject to this Act and the Rules framed hereunder.
- Provisions relating to Coordination Committee: (1) There shall be a Local Coordination Committee in each Rural Municipality and Municipality for performing functions, inter alia, to make coordination on the matters related to the protection of rights, interests of the persons with disabilities.
(2) The Coordination Committee shall be formed as follows:
(a) Vice-chairperson of the Village Executive or
Deputy Mayor of the Municipality Executive – Coordinator
(b) A woman member designated by the Village
Executive or Municipality Executive from
among the women members of the Village
Executive or Municipality Executive -Member
(c) A person designated by the Chairperson of
the Village Executive or Mayor of the Municipality
from among the headteachers or resource persons
of the secondary schools within the Rural
Municipality and Municipality -Member
(d) A doctor of the local health post or hospital
designated by the Chairperson of the Village
Executive or Mayor of the Municipality
Executive -Member
(e) Chief of the local police office -Member
(f) A representative of the institution nominated
by the Chairperson of the Village Executive or
Mayor of the Municipality Executive from
among the institutions in operation at the local
level in the field of the rights, interests of and
protection of the persons with disabilities -Member
(g) Three persons including one woman nominated
by the Coordination Committee from among the
persons with disabilities within the Rural
Municipality and Municipality -Member
(h) Chief of office of the Government of Nepal and
Provincial Government responsible for the
concerned field at the local level -Member
(i) An employee of the Village Executive or
Municipality Executive designated by the
Vice-chairperson of the Village Executive or
Deputy Mayor of the Municipality
Executive -Member Secretary
(3) The term of office of the Member nominated pursuant to sub-section (2) shall be two years.
(4) If any Member nominated pursuant to sub-section (2) fails to perform the duties of his or her office, the Coordination Committee may, at any time, remove such a Member from the office.
(5) In removing any Member from office pursuant to sub-section (4), he or she shall be provided with an opportunity to defend himself or herself.
- Functions, duties and powers of the Coordination Committee: The functions, duties, and powers of the Coordination Committee shall be as follows:
(a) To launch various programs in coordination with various bodies, institutions or associations engaged in the local level in the field of the rights, interests of and protection of the persons with disabilities and give direction to anyone to launch such programs,
(b) To inquire into application by the person with disabilities whose classification of disability is not clear or in respect of whom there is a doubt as to whether he or she has disabilities and make recommendation to the Local Level to issue identity cards,
(c) To develop or build, or cause to be developed or built, disability friendly structures in order to make easy the access of the persons with disabilities to hospitals, schools within the Local Level, including other governmental and public physical structures and places,
(d) To cause to be collected and updated the records of the persons with disabilities within the Local Level,
(e) To monitor and evaluate, or cause to be monitored and evaluated, the programs launched at the Local Level in respect of the persons with disabilities,
(f) To perform such other functions as prescribed.
- Procedures relating to meeting of the Coordination Committee: (1) The meeting of the Coordination Committee shall be held as per necessity.
(2) The meeting of the Coordination Committee shall be held on such place, date and time as specified by the Coordinator of the Committee.
(3) The Member Secretary of the Coordination Committee shall give notice of the meeting to the Members at least in advance of twenty-four hours of the meeting.
(4) The presence of more than fifty percent Members of the total number of Members of the Coordination Committee shall be deemed to constitute a quorum for a meeting of the Coordination Committee.
(5) The meeting of the Coordination Committee shall be presided over by the Coordinator of the Committee and in his or her absence by a Member selected by the Members from among themselves.
(6) The opinion of the majority at a meeting of the Coordination Committee shall be deemed to be the decision of the Coordination Committee and in the event of a tie, the person chairing the meeting shall exercise the casting vote.
(7) The Coordination Committee may invite any official or expert in the concerned field to its meeting.
(8) The decisions of the Coordination Committee shall be attested by the Member Secretary of the Coordination Committee.
(9) Other procedures relating to the meetings of the Coordination Committee shall be as determined by the Coordination Committee itself.