Concessions and Facilities Provided by Central Government
The Central Government have provided some facilities and concessions for the benefit of disabled people to integrate them into the mainstream. The facilities and concessions are:
1. Scheme of Integrated Education
2. Job Reservation in Government Sector
3. Economic Assistance
4. Welfare Schemes
5. Travel Concessions
Schemes for Integrated Education: The scheme of Integrated Education for the Disabled Children (IEDC) is a Centrally sponsored scheme and is being implemented by the Department of Secondary and Higher Education under the Ministry of Human Resource Development since 1982. Under this scheme, children with disabilities are encouraged to be integrated in the normal school system.
States and Union Territories (UTs) are provided assistance for education of the children with disabilities in general schools. The assistance provided includes the provision of necessary aids, incentives and specially trained teachers. A three- member team comprising of a doctor, a psychologist and a special educator is formed for assessment of the disability among school going children. The target groups covered under this scheme includes:
1. Children with locomotor handicaps (Orthopaedically Handicapped (O.H.))
2. Mildly and moderately hearing impaired.
3. Partially sighted children.
4. Mentally handicapped-educable group (IQ 50-70)
5. Children with multiple disabilities (visual and orthopaedic impairment; hearing and orthopaedic impairment; educable mentally retarded and orthopaedic impairment; visual and mild hearing impairment)
6. Children with learning disabilities.
The following monetary allowances are permitted for the disabled children under this scheme:
Books and Stationery allowance of Rs.400/- per annum.
Uniform allowance of Rs.50/-per annum.
Transport allowance of Rs.50/- per month (if a disabled child admitted under the scheme resides is in a hostel of the school within the school premises, no transportation charges would be admissible).
Reader allowance of Rs.50/- per month in case of blind children after class V. Escort allowance for severely handicapped children with lower extremity disabilities @ Rs.75/- per month.
Actual cost of equipment subject to a maximum of Rs.2000/- per student for a period of five years.
Other Concessions:
1. In the case of severe degree of orthopaedically handicapped children, it may be necessary to allow one attendant for 10 children in a school. The attendant may be given the standard scale of pay prescribed for Group D employees in the State/U.T. concerned.
2. Disabled children residing in hostels within the same school where they are studying may get boarding & lodging charges as admissible under the state government regulations. In case there is no state scheme of awarding scholarship to such hostel residents, then each one of them is eligible to receive the actual boarding & lodging charges subject to a maximum of Rs.200/- per month. This allowance does not apply if the income of the parents exceed Rs.3000/- p.m.
3. Severe orthopaedically handicapped children residing in school hostels may need a helper or an Ayah. A special pay of Rs.50/- p.m. is admissible to any employee of the hostel willing to extend such help to the children in addition to the usual duties.
4. If there are at least 10 handicapped children enrolled in a school located in a rural area, then an allowance of Rs.300/-p.m. is allowed so as to meet the expenses of their free transportation by a rickshaw. This allowance also covers the capital cost of the rickshaw and labour charges of rickshaw puller. No individual transport allowance is then admissible for the students.
5. Grant of education allowance to the children &reimbursement of the tuition fee for Central Government employees will be governed by the Central Civil Services (Education Assistance) Orders, 1988. Under this order, the reimbursement of tuition fee in respect of physically handicapped and mentally retarded children of the Central government employees has been enhanced to Rs.50 p.m. (from class I to XII) in comparison to the general category where it is only Rs.20.p.m. The disabled children will, however, get other assistance under this scheme as per rates prescribed for the normal children
Scholarships/ Fellowships for Disabled Persons:
Scholarships for disabled persons from class IX onwards have been transferred to state and union territory administration. The scholarships under this scheme are limited to a maximum period of 6 years after class XII. Income limit of parents/ guardians of the candidates should not be more than Rs. 2000 per month. In addition to monthly scholarships the candidates are also eligible to receive Readers Allowance.
The University Grants Commission has reserved 1% of the fellowships allocated to the universities for the handicapped.
Job Reservation in Government Sector under PWD Act- 1995. Since 1977 Government establishments are providing 3% reservation for the disabled in respect of Group C and Group D posts. After the enactment of the PWD Act, this reservation has also been extended in Group A and B identified posts. Identification of posts for persons with disabilities in all four groups has already been done in 1986 by the central government.
A committee was set up to modify the identification of posts in view of the PWD Act 1995. Identification of the posts has been completed. As per the order of government of India, reservation of 3% in jobs has been made in the identified posts for the physically handicapped persons in all the four Grades. One percent jobs each has been reserved for blind, deaf and orthopaedically handicapped. For effective implementation of the reservation it has been advised to maintain a roaster of vacancies arising on a yearly basis.
In this way every Ist, 34th & 67th vacancy is earmarked for the disabled in the cycle of 100 vacancies. A Committee has already identified appropriate posts for the physically disabled. The other concessions include.
In order to implement these reservations without loss of productivity, some posts are identified disability wise.
Disabled persons recruited for regional Grade C and Grade D posts may be given their posting (as far as possible) near their native place in that region subject to the administrative constraints. PH employees may be given preference in transfer near their native place.
The ban on filling up of non-operational vacant posts will not be applicable for reserve vacancies to be filled up by PH persons. If a reserve category of person is not available and the nature of vacancy in an office is such, it may be carried forward for a period of three subsequent years.
It has been instructed that recaning of chairs in government offices should be reserved for blind persons as far as possible. When the volume of work require a full time chair caner then a suitable post may be created in consultation with the finance department.
For the purpose of recaning the chairs in government offices, vocational rehabilitation centres and special employment exchange for the PH persons may be contacted. All the vacancies irrespective of their nature and duration are to be notified to the employment exchange and required to be filled through this agency unless they are filled through UPSC/SSC.
It has also been decided that all of the appointees should send their request to Employment Exchange/Special Employment Exchange/nearest Vocational Rehabilitation Centres for P.H. for nominating suitably handicapped persons to fulfil specific opportunities.
Extension of the age concession/ relaxation upwards by 10 years in favour of handicapped persons. This applies to posts filled through the SSC and through Employment Exchange.
Physically Handicapped persons who are otherwise eligible for appointment to posts of Lower Division Clark but cannot be so appointed due to their inability to satisfy the typing qualifications may be exempted from this requirement.
Physically Handicapped persons recruited to Grade. B and Grade. C posts advertised by the UPSC and SSC will be exempted from the payment of application and examination fee as prescribed by UPSC/SSC. Physically Handicapped persons with disability of upper or lower extremities are to be grated conveyance allowance at 5% of basic pay. Under the All India Service (Special Disability Leave) Regulation, 1957, special leave may be granted to a member of the service employee who suffers a disability as a result of risk of office or special risk of office. The special leave is subject to certain conditions.
Other Benefits:
Air Travel Concessions Indian Airlines allow 50% concession fares to blind persons on single journeys. Postage Payment of postage, both inland and foreign, for transmission by post of 'Blind Literature' packets is exempted if sent by surface route. Customs/Excise Braille paper has been exempted from excise and customs duty provided the paper is supplied direct to a school for the blind or to a Braille press against an indent placed by the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, Dehradun.
All audiocassettes recorded with material from books, newspapers or magazines for the blind are exempt from custom duty. Several other items have also been exempted from customs duty if imported for the use of a disabled person.
Conveyance Allowance All central government employees who are blind or orthopedically handicapped are granted conveyance at 5 per cent of basic pay subject to a maximum of Rs. 100 per month.
Educational Allowance Reimbursement of tuition fee of physically and mentally handicapped children of the Central government employees has been enhanced to Rs. 50/-.
Rate of Interest:
Keeping in view the social objective the interest will uniformly be charged 4% p.a. Physically Handicapped persons are eligible under DRI scheme for loan to purchase artificial limbs, hearing aids, wheelchairs etc., subject to maximum of Rs. 2500/- per borrower provided such assistance is given alongwith the advances for productive activities and self employment ventures and all other requirements under DRI scheme are fulfilled.
Under the scheme of “Financing Small Scale Industries”, a special provision has been made to allow concession of ?% in the interest to the physically handicapped availing working capital limit above Rs.2500/- and upto Rs. 2 lakhs.
source-http://abilityindia.com/forums/index.php?topic=868.0;wap2
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