Question : Welfare and Rehabilitation of Differently Abled Persons

(a) the funds sanctioned/ released and utilized for the welfare and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities/physically and mentally challenged persons in the country during each of the last three years and the current year, scheme and State/UT-wise;
(b) whether the Government proposes to evolve any plan/mechanism or has received proposals from various States for the empowerment of differently abled/disabled;
(c) if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon, State-wise;
(d) whether the Government has taken steps to create a comprehensive database of physically disabled persons of the country, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(e) whether the Government proposes to review the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities to bring it in consonance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, if so, the details and the outcome thereof;
(f) the steps taken by the Government to provide special assistance in order to reduce the problems being faced by this section of the society; and
(g) the benefits that have accrued to the differently abled persons owing to the steps taken by the Government?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI KRISHANPAL GURJAR)
(a): State/UT-wise funds released / utilized under flagship Schemes, namely, Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme and Assistance for to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP) Scheme during the last 3 years and current year are at Annexure–I and Annexure-II respectively.
(b) to (c): Under Scheme for Implementation of Person with Disabilities Act, 1995 (SIPDA), assistance is provided to State Govts. and to autonomous organization/Institutes under center/States Governments for various activities relating to empowerment of persons with disabilities, under Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, particularly for creation of barrier Free Environment and Skill Training Program for persons with disabilities. The State/UT-wise funds utilized under SIPDA Scheme during the last 3 years and current year is at Annexure–III(A) and Annexure-III(B).

d): With a view to create a National Database and to issue Unique Disability Identification(UDID) Card to each person with disability, an application software has been developed and hosted on NIC Cloud for implementation of UDID project in the country. 5.68 lakh e-UDID cards have been generated in 17 States/UTs under the project.
(e): Policy formulation is an ongoing process. There is no such concrete proposal to review the existing National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, 2006.
(f) to (g): The Government enacted the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 which came into force from 19.04.2017. The Act provides various rights, entitlements to persons with disabilities and also mandates the appropriate government to take measures to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy their rights equally with others. The Act also mandates the States/UTs and local authorities to take steps to promote education, social security, skill development, employment, sports activities, recreation and health care for persons with disabilities.
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