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| HC issues directions for rehabilitation of physically challenged | | |
Srinagar, Oct 18
Jammu and Kashmir High Court has in a PIL case titled Javeed Ahmad Tak v/s state and others directed the government to re-examine the fixing of 40 per cent disability as eligibility criterion for rendering assistance to disabled persons through Social Welfare Department, because it is apprehend that by this standard a large number of deserving disabled persons may be left out of the consideration zone Instead of having a cut off line of 40 per cent disability, the government could consider grant of assistance to disabled in proportion to quantum of disability without fixing the cut of percentage. This would assure better and deserved assistance to all handicapped persons and also enable the department to identify avenues for persons with different degrees of disabilities for their appropriate rehabilitation.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice, Justice B. A. Khan and Justice Bashir Ahmed Kirmani has directed the department of Social Welfare to evolve a strategy of seeking coordination from other government department of health and education etc, and act as a nodal agency for channelizing avenues and efforts available from different sides into a comprehensive programme for effective assistance to handicapped persons. The Court feel that for an integrated welfare programme for disabled persons the department would perhaps do well by concentrating on education of disabled children along with their medical treatment and provisions of aids etc. vocationalization of youthful disabled persons, and rehabilitation of aged ones. For the same they may have to seek cooperation from the department of Education, Health and Ministry of Home Resources Development, Government of India etc for which all these departments are directed to cooperate with them.
The department of Social Welfare is also directed to identify the disabled persons capable of undertaking some sort of small scale or domestic industrial activity and arrange for soft loan to them through banking institution so that they get a chance of leading a dignified life. For this all the banks transacting business in state of J&K are hereby directed to render full cooperation to the Social Welfare Department.
All officers of Social Welfare Department are directed to assure provision of assistance to such registered disabled persons who are not receiving any assistance from the department currently, and expedite registration of those who are not registered as yet. For this they shall undertake the requisite awareness campaigns indicating place/offices to be approached for such registration according to a calendar to be publicized in advance. The Government also stands directed to assure grant of requisite funds to Social Welfare department for meeting the expenditure on account of assistance to disabled persons.
The Social Welfare Department may also identify such NGOs in the state willing to extend cooperation in rehabilitation of disabled persons and after strictly verifying their credentials involve them in the process according to a well defined policy to be devised by the government, with an efficient overseeing mechanism to watch the grant and expenditure of funds in this behalf.
The Composite Regional Centre and other government departments who claim to be providing aid and assistance to disabled persons on their own, are directed to examine the desirability for rendering their assistance etc through the Social Welfare Department so that the government aid and assistance flows to the deserving persons without any chance for over lapping any where. The requisite process in this behalf may be initiated by Secretary of Social Welfare Department.
All print/electronic media agencies shall render necessary cooperation to Social Welfare department for carrying out the effective campaign as indicated above without charging any fee in discharge of their social/public obligation. |
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