New Delhi: Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishna Pal Gurjar inaugurated a distribution camp in Bathinda, Punjab on January 2, 2021, through a video conference, under the Government of India’s National Vyosri Yojana (RVY) and ADIP scheme Assistance devices will be distributed to selected senior citizens and disabled persons at the block level.
In his address on the occasion, Gurjar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the budget allocation for the welfare of PwDs is being continuously increased and is also being used. The main objective of providing assistance tools to PwDs is to empower them and connect them to the mainstream of society. PwD are an integral part of human resources. Talking about the need for organizing such distribution camps, the Union Minister of State said that such camps are to spread awareness about the various welfare schemes of the Central Government being run for the PwDs.
Gurjar said that after the implementation of the ‘Right to Physically Disabled Persons 2016’ rule, the disability categories were increased from 7 to 21 and reservation in government jobs for PwDs was also increased by 1 percent and now it is 3 percent. Compared to 4 percent. Also, the reservation for disabled people in higher education has now been increased to 5 percent. He further informed that the ministry is implementing a scheme to distribute equipment to children who are hearing impaired and who cannot speak, and a provision of Rs 6 lakh has been made for each such child.
Additional Secretary Upma Shrivastava in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment also participated in the program through virtual medium while senior officials of Bathinda district were present at the venue. ALIMCO General Manager PK Dubey represented ALIMCO from Kanpur, the headquarters of the organization, participated in the program through virtual medium.
Under this event, 4590 accessories will be made available to a total of 1907 beneficiaries in Bathinda district. This will cost a total of Rs 162.47 lakhs. A series of distribution camps will be organized at the block level to distribute this equipment to the beneficiaries. Of the total beneficiaries, 564 are PwDs who will get benefits under the ADIP scheme while 1343 are senior citizens who will be provided benefits under the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana. The registration and identification of beneficiary senior citizens was done in January 2018, while ALIMCO conducted assessment camps in the month of January last year for identification and registration of PwDs.
Total support devices to be distributed in different segments include 138 three wheelers, 734 wheelchairs, 15 CP chairs, 199 crutches, 1305 walking stick, 15 rollers, 18 smart cans, 7 smartphones, 6 daisy players, for visually impaired. Includes Braille kits, 1843 hearing aid equipment for the deaf, 45 MSIED kits for the mentally challenged and Tetrapod 106 prostheses and calipers.
The camp was organized by ALIMCO, Kanpur under the aegis of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in association with Social Welfare Department and District Administration of Bathinda. These camps are being organized under the New Standard Procedure (SOP) of program implementation issued by the Ministry keeping in mind the Kovid-19 epidemic. In the programs to be organized for distribution, full consideration is also being given to the guidelines issued by the Government of India on the possibility of transition of Kovid-19, including social distance, thermal scanning of all, wearing of masks by all and all who reach the venue. The use of PPE kits of beneficiaries is accompanied by sanitization by experts.