SWD says proposals submitted to Social Justice Ministry
*PwDs remain deprived of several benefits of scheme
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 24: Announced more than one and half year back, Disability Rehabilitation Centres have yet not come up in all the districts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as a result of which Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) failed to receive the benefits of the scheme of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
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On March 13, 2023, an announcement was made that District Disability Rehabilitation Centers (DDRCs) will be established in all 20 districts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as facility was available only in few districts.
“However, even after the lapse of more than one and half year not even one new centre has been established and the reasons for the same are not known even to the officers of the Department of Social Welfare”, official sources told EXCELSIOR. They just claimed that proposals in this regard have been forwarded to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and response from the Ministry is awaited.
“Due to this Persons with Disabilities have failed to receive the benefit of the scheme, which otherwise was floated with the objective of ensuring effective rehabilitation services to such persons”, sources further said, adding “the Social Welfare Department is required to regularly follow-up with the Union Ministry so that at least in 10 districts of the Union Territory Disability Rehabilitation Centres come up as early as possible”.
Highlighting the importance of the scheme, sources said that District Disability Rehabilitation Centres provide rehabilitative support to Persons with Disabilities through survey and identification; facilitate in obtaining disability certificate, bus passes and other concession/facilities; assist in the issuance of Unique Disability Identity Card (UDID) to Divyangjan in the district; generate awareness for encouraging and enhancing prevention of disabilities, early detection and intervention as well as maintaining data of organizations working for the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in the district etc.
Further, these centres help in assessment of need of assistive devices, provision/fitment of assistive devices, follow up/repair of assistive devices and referral and arrangement of surgical correction through Government and charitable institutes. Moreover, these centres manage loans for self employment through banks and other financial institutions and identify suitable vocations for Persons with Disabilities keeping in view local resources and designing and providing vocational training and identifying suitable jobs so as to make them economically independent.
“From all these objectives it can be easily gauged how much benefits and opportunities the Persons with Disabilities are being deprived of in the absence of District Disability Rehabilitation Centres in majority of the districts of the Union Territory”, sources said.
Each DDRC is supposed to be run under the supervision of a District Management Team headed by the District Collector/District Magistrate and also to include district officials from Social Welfare, Health, Panchayati Raj, Women & Child Welfare Departments, nodal officer from implementing agency and representative from reputed NGOs/ public representatives for better coordination and monitoring.
According to the officials of the Social Welfare Department, the important functions of District Management Team include selection of location of DDRC in close proximity to the District Hospital for the convenience of Persons with Disabilities; selection of registered implementing agencies; selection/deployment of manpower and finalizing their engagement conditions; monitoring, coordination of activities of DDRC; convergence with other activities in the district relating to rehabilitation of Divyangjan; security of assets of DDRC and material received under ADIP scheme of the Department.
When contacted, a senior officer of the Social Welfare Department, while confirming that District Disability Rehabilitation Centres have yet not come up in all the districts of the Union Territory, said, “we will once again take up the matter with the Union Ministry for clearance of the proposals”.
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