UP Government Launches Major Rehabilitation Initiative For Persons With Disabilities

Lucknow: Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken an important initiative to give new momentum to the comprehensive rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

The government’s objective is to ensure that persons with disabilities receive equal participation in education, skill development, health services and employment opportunities, and are able to live a self-reliant life by joining the mainstream of society.

In this sequence, the “Divyangjan ke Sarvangin Punarvasan Hetu Swaichhik Sansthaon ko Sahayata Yojana” has been implemented, under which eligible voluntary organizations will be provided grants.

Under this scheme, assistance will be provided for rehabilitation related to 21 types of disabilities, while persons with mental retardation and mentally ill disabilities have been kept outside the scope of this scheme. The government aims to create a strong rehabilitation framework by providing facilities for early intervention, education, training and skill development to children and youth with different categories of disabilities.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Backward Classes Welfare and Disabled Empowerment, Narendra Kashyap, while issuing directions to effectively implement schemes related to the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities at the grassroots level, said, the priority of the Yogi government is to ensure that persons with disabilities receive equal opportunities in every field of education, skill, health, employment and become self-reliant.

Minister Narendra Kashyap also stated, through the scheme of providing assistance to voluntary organizations for the comprehensive rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, the state government is promoting social participation.

Under this scheme, grants are being provided to rehabilitation projects being run for persons affected by the 21 types of disabilities mentioned in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, so that children and youth with disabilities can receive appropriate facilities for early intervention, education, training and skill development.

He informed, this scheme is being effectively implemented for disability categories other than persons with mental retardation and mentally ill disabilities.

Under the scheme, important activities such as establishment of early intervention centres, operation of day care centres and pre-primary schools, operation of special schools from primary to high school level, skill development programs for persons with disabilities, development of educational material, availability of Braille and assistive devices, and operation of libraries related to persons with disabilities are being encouraged through financial assistance.

The objective of these efforts is to identify persons with disabilities at an early stage and guide them towards self-reliance.

The minister said, it is the policy of the Yogi government that not only the government machinery but also experienced and dedicated voluntary organizations should have active participation in the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. With this objective, a transparent and technology-based application process has been assigned for eligible voluntary organizations.

Only those organizations will be eligible under the scheme which are duly registered under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, are registered on the NITI Aayog NGO Darpan portal with a unique identification number, and have a minimum of two years of work experience in the field of disability.

He further stated, the proposals submitted under the scheme will be examined at the district level by a committee constituted under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate, after which the final decision will be taken by the screening committee at the directorate level. This will ensure that assistance is provided only to genuine, active and effective organizations, and that government funds are utilized in a proper and result-oriented manner.

The minister also informed, all divisional commissioners and district magistrates have been directed to ensure wide publicity of this scheme in their respective districts, so that more voluntary organizations come forward and participate in this campaign for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

He said, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state government is continuously making efforts in the direction of empowering, educating and making persons with disabilities self-reliant with the resolve of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas.