Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot on Tuesday said his Ministry would conduct a nationwide survey starting next month to identify persons with disabilities (PWDs) for issuing them Universal Identity Cards (UICs) for better convenience.
“The nationwide programme scheduled to begin next month will identify all the beneficiaries and issue them UIC within the timeframe that ends by March 2015,” he told mediapersons here.
He said the UIC would enable the cardholders to prove their identities anywhere in the country and avail access to all Government benefits on the production of the card.
He added that the Union Government is looking into the process of giving 50 percent subsidy to PWDs on buying motorised tri-cycle while the remaining cost is being mulled to be borne from MP/MlA lAD funds.
The Minister further informed that his Ministry is working to accord disable status to those with less than 40 per cent disability. Now as per norms those who have more that 40 per cent disability are getting disable status.
Gehlot also observed that the actual number of PWDs is not available due to a variety of reasons ranging from absence of proper certificates to identity cards.
He reiterated his assurance of setting up of regional centres of three national level institutes, Regional Centers of National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) located at Chennai, National Institute for Mentally Retarded (NIMR) at Secunderabad and National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH), Dehradun in the State.
“We shall formally initiate work of establishment of three units of the said national institutes soon as the State Government provides the required lands. Each institute requires 15-20 acres of land and will have the capacity of 150-200 beds,” added the Minister.