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| J&K only state offering no concession to disabled, senior citizens in public transport | | 5 years on, Minister says she is alive to situation | | Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Dec 6: In what could be termed as shameful for the ruling National Conference (NC)-Congress Government in the state that the Minister given portfolio of Social Welfare Department knows the importance of concession to physically handicapped persons in public transport but not the remedy.
When Early Times contacted Sakina Itoo, Minister for Social Welfare regarding no policy in place to provide special benefits to senior citizens and physically challenged persons like concession in public transport, she replied, "I know, it is of utmost importance and I have highlighted the matter several times, but we could not formulate a strategy till now to sort this issue".
To defer the reply, she further said that she would highlight the matter in the next session so as to take up the matter with the Department of Transport to offer concession to the senior citizens as well as disabled persons in the state.
Most astounding is the fact that the states considered as poor including Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha among others with Union Territories have offered concessions to disabled and the senior citizens traveling in public transport.
Gujarat offers hundred percent concessions to the blind and other handicapped whereas the state is also offering free transport for the escorts with the differently able persons of the state. Similarly Delhi is offering free transport for blinds and there is 50 per cent concession to the escorts of the blind.
More embarrassing for the state's Social Welfare Department is that in the Union Territory Chandigarh, there is facility of free transport for the blind whereas other categories of physically handicapped are admissible for 50 per cent concession in public transport.
Pertinently the Social Welfare department is already in mess for its failure for not delivering the benefits granted to senior citizens under different welfare schemes. |
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