The Union Budget 2024-25 for the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has seen a slight rise to Rs 1,225.27 crore, a mere 0.02 per cent increase from the previous year’s revised estimate. The budget allocation for the National Program for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities stood at Rs 615.33 crore, up from Rs 502 crore in the previous year’s revised budget.
Assistance to Disabled Persons for Aids and Appliances also saw marginal increase to Rs 315 crore from Rs 305 crore while Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme saw an increase to Rs 165.00 crore from Rs 130 crore. Scholarships for students with disabilities decreased to Rs 142.68 crore from Rs 155 crore while funding was reduced from Rs 76 crores to Rs 25 crores for disability sports. Funds for National Institutes also reduced to Rs 370 crore from Rs 408.75 crore while for National Trust, the allocation is Rs 25 crore.
Rs 194 crore allocated for bodies like National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation and Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India is low, said disability activistsMuralidharan from NPRD, said that budgetary support remains disproportionately low, just 0.025 per cent of the total budget, far below the 5 per cent allocation that has been advocated across ministries.
