BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has the third-highest number of applications pending for Unique Disability IDs (or Swavlamban cards) in the country, depriving persons with disabilities (PwDs) from availing government benefits.
According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, while around 1.47 crore applications for these IDs are pending across the country, Odisha is yet to process its share of 1,78,628 applications. It comes third after Uttar Pradesh which has the highest 2.16 lakh applications pending and Maharashtra with 1.92 lakh pending applications.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has been implementing the ‘Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities’ project to create a national database for PwDs and issue UDID cards to each person with disabilities.
The flagship initiative was launched by the department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2016. Since then, 8,60,080 Unique Disability IDs have been issued in the state. As per the 2011 census, there are 12.44 lakh PwDs in the state and 10.14 per cent of this population faces multiple disabilities.
The card delivers government benefits and travel concessions to the people with disabilities. Disability certificates issued only through UDID portal by competent medical authorities are accepted throughout the state for generation of the IDs. Those issued in manual mode are no longer accepted. The ID card has been made mandatory since September last year for availing different benefits of the government schemes.
Ten districts in the state have the highest number of applications pending when it comes to generating unique disability identity (UDID) cards for PwDs. The districts are Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Balangir, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar, Nayagarh, Nuapada and Rayagada.
Officials in the SSEPD department said the pendency is reviewed at regular intervals and various measures are being taken to enhance awareness on enrolment under the UDID project. Collectors of the 10 districts have been asked to focus on generation of the ID cards and bring down the pendency level.
Report
While 1.47 cr applications for these IDs are pending across India, Odisha is yet to process 1,78,628 applications
It comes third after UP and Maharashtra with regards to pending applications
As per the 2011 census, there are 12.44L PwDs in Odisha and 10.14 pc of them face multiple disabilities
10 districts in the state have the highest number of pending applications