The State Government is seriously considering the proposal to set up a seperate development corporation and State Commission for persons with disabilities for the implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995 in letter and spirit.
Disclosing this to media persons here on Friday, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Das Suryawamshi said setting up of the State Commission may take some time. However, the Development Corporation for Disabled may come through soon. The process of setting up the Corporation has already been set in motion. Suryawamshi said although there has been three per cent budgetory provisions in all departments for the welfare of persons with disabilities, the funds could not be used effectively and properly. A Development Corporation exclusively for the disabled will go a long way in doing justice to them.
Suryawamshi, who conducted an adalat here to listen to the grievances of disabled persons and redress them said, instructions have been issued to deputy commissioners and tahsildars to conduct adalat for disabled once in three months for solving their problems. He said three per cent reservation of seats has been provided in educational institutions including professional education. Suryawamshi said according to his information 17 students with disabilities of different kind have been given medical seats so far through the CET this year.
The Commissionerate for Disabled would interfere whenever it came across violations of provisions of the law meant for disabled. Recently, the notification for recruitment of teachers had to be withdrawn as the recruiting authority had not made the statutory provision of five per cent reservation for disabled. As per the 2001 general census, there are 9.66 lakh persons with disabilities in the State, includiing 4.29 lakh women and 5.37 lakh men. However, the department of persons with disabilities has been directed to conduct a survey to know the exact number of persons with disabilities, which would be carried out in all districts. In Gulbarga, there are 60,557 persons with disability.
The Commissiosner said medical boards have been constituted in all districts for issue of disability certificates free of cost.