The State Government will play the role of legal guardian of the differently-abled including those suffering from cerebral palsy, mental retardation, multiple disabilities and autism.
A State level coordination committee has been formed for this purpose under the chairmanship of the principal secretary, Social Welfare. Similarly, such committees have been formed at the district level under the chairmanship of the district magistrates. These issues were discussed in a meeting of the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment presided over by the chief secretary Subhash Kumar here on Wednesday.
The joint secretary and chief executive officer of the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Ajay lal informed that in Uttarakhand, the Raphael Centre has been made the State Nodal Agency Centre (SNAC).
The district level committees will also consist of one representative of a voluntary organisation and one differently abled person apart from the district magistrate. The voluntary organisation working for disabled people will work seriously to identify the disabled persons in the district. The Health Department will issue a certificate to such disabled persons who have completed 18 years of age. The State Government will provide protection, employment and legal guardianship to such disabled persons in addition to facilitating vocational training for them.
Through video conferencing, the chief secretary directed all district magistrates to include this scheme in the agenda of their monthly meeting and review it regularly. Officials of the National Trust provided detailed information about the scheme to the district magistrates. The State officials were informed that such disabled persons can also be insured under the Niramaya scheme. The State government will deposit the insurance premium amount. Various other schemes and facilities for the disabled were also discussed in the meeting.