NEW DELHI: A third-party evaluation of schemes for the differently-abled should be completed in a time-bound manner, said a parliamentary standing committee report on the social justice and empowerment ministry.
The committee said that the phrase ‘depending upon the timeline’ made the entire process open-ended. It urged the government to carry out a study within a stipulated schedule and avoid undue extension of timelines. The panel reiterated it would like to be apprised of the progress.
The committee recommended the Centre to increase its contribution from Rs 300 to pensioners with disabilities to a reasonable amount and making it mandatory for every state and union territory to give some amount with a provision for revision periodically to help them cope with inflation as a disability pension. If there was a need, the Centre should have a relook at the existing policies in this direction, said the panel.
“The committee is pained to find that some of the state governments are giving less than 500/- per month as disability pension to PwDs. They fail to understand as to how can a person survive with this paltry amount which is not even sufficient to meet bare minimum basic needs of an individual,” the recommendation said.
MPs and MLAs should be involved in the process of setting up of disability rehabilitation centres and state corporation/composite regional centres for persons with disabilities, the recommendation said. The input provided by them would be of use as they were well aware of local conditions of the differently-able in
their areas.