Government gives ` 77 lakh for CWSN in Dakshina Kannada

 The government has sanctioned Rs 77.76 lakh to Dakshina Kannada district, to cater to the needs of children with special needs (CWSN) during the financial year. The total identified kids in the district are 3,888 and the total allocation is Rs 2,000. 

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Project Coordinator Shivaprakash said that last year, the government had sanctioned Rs 1.50 lakh to provide transportation facility for the CWSN. However, this year, the target for transportation is 200 and a sum of Rs five lakh has been sanctioned. For escorting the children with special needs, the parents/guardians will also get travel allowance and a sum of Rs 8.40 lakh has been sanctioned. The target for the escort facility is 336. The transport facility will be given for 10 months in a year. 

He said that assessment and medical camp for screening the needs of the children in the form of aids and appliances will be completed by July end. A sum of Rs five lakh has been sanctioned for the distribution of aids and appliances among the special kids. Corrective surgeries will be conducted on the needy children will be held from September to March. The needy child will get upto Rs 8,000 for the corrective surgery, he added. 

In fact, the target for the year is 52 and a sum of Rs 4.19 lak has been earmarked for the same. 

He said that inclusive adventure and nature study camps will be held for the CWSN from December 3 to 15. The target for this year is 210 and a sum of Rs 1.05 lakh has been set aside by the government. 

As a part of the inclusive education for CWSN, volunteers teach bed-ridden children as a part of home based education. Each volunteer can teach three children in a village and they will be paid Rs 1,000 per child per month. 

There are 54 such volunteers in the district. As a part of the ongoing education, the government has earmarked funds for a five day residential training for teachers on cerebral palsy, teachers on autism, spectrum disorder and resource persons engaged in home based education. 

Proposal Under SSA, a proposal of Rs 10.50 lakh has also been sent to the State government for providing transportation facilities for normal kids who have been shifted to the nearby schools following the closure of the schools that they were studying in. The proposal is yet to get sanctioned by the government.

To ensure that no child remains out of the portals of the school following lack of transportation facilities, the proposal has been prepared, he said. The transportation allowance will be given for those whose schools are three kilometre away from the house. It has been decided to identify 350 kids and a sum of Rs 300 per month was earmarked for each child.