Stipend scheme for handicapped in Udupi has no demand

Stipend scheme for handicapped in Udupi has no demand

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, July 30, 2015: Monthly stipend scheme meant for unemployed handicapped youth, has been witnessing lack of beneficiaries as people are not availing the facility.

The scheme of providing monthly stipend of Rs 1,000, implemented by the department of handicapped and senior citizen has failed to attract beneficiaries as the rules and regulations have proved to be troublesome to avail the facility.  Aspirants are required to enroll their names in the employment exchange centre, they should not be availing any other government facilities, and they should have passed SSLC and above and so on.

Out of the 250 persons who have applied for the benefit at the employment exchange centre, none of them are qualified as they have been availing one or the other government facility.

Other schemes are the monthly allowance of Rs 500 to those who have more than 74 per cent of disability and Rs 1,200 monthly allowance for those who have more than 75 per cent of disability.

There is a rule that the allowance for the unemployed handicapped youth, may be availed by those having more than 40 per cent disability. But, as many of the physically challenged youth have been availing Rs 1,200 monthly allowance, they are not keen on getting Rs 1,000 monthly stipend. This has created a lack of beneficiaries for the scheme.

As per the survey conducted by the department concerned, there are 16,927 handicapped persons in the district. Among them, 11,000 have been provided with identity cards. Around 13,000 have been availing the maintenance allowance.

The age limits of 25-35 years has been fixed.  Though a large number of beneficiaries under the government schemes are there, they have crossed their age limit. Moreover, many of these have not registered themselves in the employment exchange centre.

District handicapped welfare officer said the aspirants should have registered their name at least two years ago, to apply for the facility. The responsibility of running the rehabilitation centre for the handicapped has been handed over to the Indian Red Cross Society.

The organisation has been conducting a survey in Kundapur taluk to determine the number of handicapped in the district. Later, the survey will be conducted in Udupi and Karkala taluks as well. The exact details of the handicapped will only be available after the completion of the survey, along with the number of eligible for the scheme.