Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 07 2010:
Even though Social Welfare Department, Government of Manipur has been issuing identity cards to all the persons with disabilities (PWDs), these identity cards are rarely being used.
Instead they are more interested in the benefits to be given, Assistant Commissioner of Social Welfare Department Th Dilipkumar has stated.
Talking to The Sangai Express in his office chamber today, Dilipkumar informed that there are in all 12,373 certified PWDs in Manipur today.
Issuing of certificates to the PWDs started in Manipur in 1982 .
He informed that there is a State Medical Board under Social Welfare Department and the Health Services, which issues certificates to PWDs.
These certificates are issued after proper examination by a team of specialist doctors.
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For the convenience of PWDs, a District Disabilities Centre has been set up in JN Hospital where they can get the disabilities form from the OPD.
On filling up the forms, three specialist doctors have to certify whether an individual is a PWD or not.
As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, an individual can be certified as PWD, if the assessment of his/her disabilities is upto 40 percent.
But the unfortunate part is that even PWDs with 90 percent disabilities have been approaching for Government job, leading to misunderstanding and odd situation.
Even if they are educated, how they are supposed to involve in the activities of the department ?, the Assistant Commissioner questioned.
The officer went on to say that at the time of issuing the certificate, a passbook and an identity card are also given to the certified PWD.
This identity card is to be used by the PWD concerned whenever they go out.
But in Manipur it has been seen that most of the PWDs do not use or carry their identity cards.
Instead they keep on complaining against alleged denial of benefits.
On the other hand, when a certified PWD gets Government job, none reported the matter to the Department.
So, on October 7, 2010, the Department has written to other Government departments to find out how many PWDs have been exactly employed in Manipur till date.
Furthermore, he informed that the Department has been extending grant in aid to 12 schools, 5 vocational training centres and 13 other continuation programmes which are implemented by NGOs.
In addition to this, recommendation for empanelment of 33 other NGOs have been submitted to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in October this year.
The department facilitated the submission of the projects prepared by the NGOs as nodal agency only.
The Social Welfare Department has also started providing pension benefit to 404 PWDs from this year, the officer added.