The differently-abled people of Chhattisgarh will now also get an opportunity of visiting key pilgrimages centres of the country at Government cost.For that, the Social Welfare Department of the State Government has amended the Chhattisgarh Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana Act 2012, launched for aged persons.
Chhattisgarh had implemented this scheme in 2012 for sending aged persons of the State to pilgrimage centres at Government cost, once in their life time. So far, 60,000 people in the State have benefited from this scheme.The Social Welfare Department officers said here on Tuesday that differently-abled people of the State would be sent on pilgrimage of famous places of the country, under the Chhattisgarh Mukhyamantri Teerathyatra Yojana. The Department has issued notification of amendment in the Act on June 18, 2014.
According to the notification, such differently-abled person, classified under section 2(N) of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, would be eligible of taking benefit of the scheme.Now, hearing impaired, deaf and dumb, visually impaired and physically disabled person will be eligible for the pilgrimage. Differently-abled person, who is above 18 years of age and not an income tax payer, will be eligible under the scheme.
The beneficiaries will have to mention the name of their life partner in the application form. They can also go in groups of five people. An assistant for each differently-abled person, who is nearest or choice of the person concerned, is compulsory for the pilgrimage.Eighty per cent of the beneficiary should be BPl, Antyodaya, or Mukhyamantri Khadyann Sahayata Yojana card holders and 20 per cent above poverty line.