BANGALORE: The Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens has introduced holograms on disability certificates. The move is an effort to curb fake certificates.
Welfare Officer for the Disabled (Bangalore Urban), G Mohan, said there were several complaints of people with fake disability certificates claiming benefits. To ensure that facilities reach the deserving, certificates with unique holograms were introduced from June 2 at Victoria Hospital and the project has covered 520 disabled people, he said.
A three-member committee, including a surgeon, will decide on issuance of the certificate after assessing the type of disability and its gravity. “The details will be forwarded to the Welfare Officer for the Disabled at the district level for his assent. This ensures transparency,” Mohan explained.
Dr Devadas, Medical Superintendent, Victoria Hospital, said, “The beneficiary will get a pension of `2,000 and job reservations. The certificate will be valid for 10 years after which it has to be renewed”.
Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, K G General Hospital, Jayanagar General Hospital, NIMHANS and Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedic Hospital have also been authorised to issue the certificate. According to the 2011 census, Bangalore Urban district has 2.67 lakh people with disability, but the department has data on only 72,000 people. Officials blamed it on the lack of public awareness about schemes for the disabled. The department now plans to spread awareness about the schemes through camps and melas.
“’Jagruthi’, an awareness mela, will be held shortly at the gram panchayat level to enrol more differently-abled people. At the village level, special camps will be organised,” Mohan said.
Meanwhile, the official responsible for registering disabled people in three wards (47, 48 and 61) at Pulakeshinagar said the work is not progressing due to several reasons. The department has hence approached the Department of Health and Family Welfare for more trained staff to carry out registrations. The department will resume the enrolment from June 30. Till June 21, it has managed to cover only 556 people, with the help of health activists.