BHUBANESWAR: In order to clear the piling backlog of unique disability ID (UDIDs or Swavlamban cards) applications in the state, the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities department has asked its officials to work on a war-footing.
The department reviewed the pendency and directed its district social security officers (DSSOs) to deploy at least three data entry officers in the office of the CDMOs concerned to expedite generation of pending UDID cards. The data entry operators will work in three shifts in a day to complete the process.
It has directed for deactivating the applications that are pending for more than two years but not attended by the medical board so that, the applicants can reapply after a gap of three months if required. The officers have been asked to submit daily reports on generation of UDIDs.
Odisha has the third-highest number of applications pending for UDIDs 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 the 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. As per 2011 census, there are 12.44 lakh PwDs in the state with 10.14 per cent of them having 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.