Mar 12, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government will take legal action against newly constructed public buildings that have not made accessible to disabled.

Social Services Minister Felix Perera has said that some new public buildings have not met the requirements of the Supreme Court directive in 2009 where it was stated that there should be easy access to the disabled in buildings constructed in future.

"New public buildings constructed since then, have not met the requirements stipulated by the Supreme Court," Perera has said.

A survey had found that some state owned public buildings contracted after the court order was issued did not have facilities for the disabled.

According to the Minister, 7 percent of the country's population is disabled.

The government therefore has decided to initiate legal action against the institutions that do not comply with the Supreme Court directive.

The Supreme Court had ordered that newly constructed public building should be facilitated with adequate sanitary facilities for the disabled apart from the access facilities.