Getting disability pension, certificate an uphill task

New Delhi, Feb 2 (UNI) Getting pension and obtaining disablity certificate is still an uphill task for the physically challenged, especially in rural areas of the country.

The fact came to light during the sixth meeting of state commissioners for persons with disabilities here today.

Grievances related to the failure of the government departments to release disability pension and issue disability certificate and incentive money formed 45 per cent of all complaints received by mobile courts of the Chief Commmissioner for Persons with Disablities(CCPD).

Despite reservations and various incentives, getting employment is also not easy for a disabled person. Employment related complaints were 19 per cent and those of harassment four per cent of the total complaints received by the mobile courts, CCPD Dr Manoj Kumar said in a presentation at the meeting presided over by Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar.

In the urban areas, most of the complaints(38 per cent) filed with mobile courts related to employment, followed by those relating to service condition (15 per cent) and harassment(eight per cent).

Pension and certificate-related complaints amounted for six per cent of the total.

The CCPD also said that Rs 173 crore given for the disabled under the government poverty alliviation schemes of SGSY and SGRY could not be utilised in 2005, clearly showing means that the utilisation of the fund was less one per cent.

He said there was need for effective monitoring of all central and state government schemes.

Minister Meira Kumar in her remarks acknowledged the fact that disabled people were facing a lot of difficulties in getting disability certificate and pension and said the process of identification and release of certificate needs simplification such that all the formalities were completed in a single assigned day of a week or month.

She said a committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Additional Secretray of the Ministry to formulate a strategy and suggest procedure and guidelines which can be followed by all the states.

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