Question : MISUSE OF FUNDS FOR DISABLED

(a) the funds released by the Union Government to the Trusts set up under the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities and the centres for the disabled built under the scheme during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise including Uttar Pradesh;

(b) whether the Government has received any complaints with regard to allegations of irregularities in utilising funds by such trusts in the country, particularly Uttar Pradesh during the last three years and the current year;

(c) if so, the details thereof and the punitive action taken by the Government against the guilty, State-wise particularly in Uttar Pradesh; and

(d) the preventive action taken by the Government to check the misuse of the funds released by the Government for the welfare of disabled?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI P. BALRAM NAIK)

(a): The National Trust for the welfare of persons with Autism. Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities has received a one-time contribution of rupees one hundred crores from the Government of India for a corpus, the income whereof is utilised by it to provide for adequate standard of living for persons with disability. The National Trust has been implementing the following schemes for the persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabled:-
(i) Aspiration - Early Intervention Program (Day Care Centre) (ii) Samarth (Residential Care Scheme) (iii) Sahyogi - Care Givers Training & Deployment Scheme. (iv) GHARAUNDA (Life Lgng Shelter and Care Scheme) A Statement indicating details of the schemes is at Annexure-I. Statements indicating funds released under the above schemes are at Annexures II to V respectively.

(b): No complaints have been received in so far as the National Trust and its centres are concerned.

(c) Does not arise.

(d): Grant in aid is being released by National Trust on the basis of number of beneficiaries under the schemes. It also conducts random surprise inspections from time to time. Further, a self assessment calculator has been introduced for release of funds under various grant-in-aid schemes for greater transparency. The beneficiaries under the Schemes have been linked with Niramaya - Health Insurance Scheme, where detail profiles of these beneficiaries are available online.