THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has expressed its disappointment over the poor allocation for the welfare of the differently-abled in the Union budget. Social Justice Minister R Bindu pointed out that the budget earmarked only 0.025% of its total outlay for projects pertaining to the differently-abled.
The funding for the Centre’s flagship projects such as Accessible India and allocation for implementation of various provisions of the Persons With Disabilities Act has been halved compared to the 2022-23 budget. “Despite the Economic Survey cautioning huge drop in the funds for assistance to people with intellectual disabilities for two consecutive years, the latest budget has done nothing to address the issue,” she said.
She said the budget also reflected neglect of the poor by not making any increase in the allocation for the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme. “Though a parliamentary panel recommended a hike in pension, the budget has turned a blind eye towards it. There has been no change in the meagre `300 provided to beneficiaries since 2012,” she pointed out.