Prakash Kamat
Panaji,December 1-- Barely two days ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disability(PswD),on Tuesday, the Disability Rights Association of Goa(DRAG),a disabled persons organization working with the main objective of bringing people with disability into the mainstream society has written to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inviting his attention to the several issues of PswD in Goa, pending for long to be attended to by his government.
Goa has 33,000 persons with disability as per Census 2011 which covered only 7 disabilities as per the Persons with Disability Act 1995. In 2017 Goa endirsed the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, which covers 21 disabilities. It is estimated that Goa has around 45,000 persons with disability as per the new act. As we are not able to get a personal hearing with you even after 20 days and the International Day of Persons with Disability is fast approaching, we are giving herebelow a list of issues of the disability sector which have been pending for a very long time:
1. Appointment of a full time State disability commissioner with appropriate staff:Many disability issues are pending because we do not have a full time State disability Commissioner with appropriate staff for the last two years. Applications for the post of full time State Disability Commissioner were invited in May 2020 but the appointment is not yet finalized.
2. Separate cell in various government departments for persons with disability:There is a need for a separate cell in every department especially education, labour, transport, trade and commerce, tourism, health and sports departments to handle disability related matters because specialized knowledge of the subject is required.
3. Certification of new disabilities:The Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2016 has brought under its ambit 14 new disabilities out of which 10 disabilities are not yet being certified in Goa as a result people with these disabilities are not getting disability benefits from education and social welfare departments
4. Blood separators in District Hospitals:There is a severe need for blood separators in district hospitals as children with thalessmia are forced to travel all the way to Goa Medical College for blood transfusion as they are the only hospital which has a blood separator.
5. NOC for special educators:Directorate of Education is always delaying in issuing No Objection Certificate for the appointment of special educators as a result of which education of special children is affected. There is a need to issue it on time.
6. Accessibility in buildings, communication, websites: Twenty-five years of the Persons with Disability Act ,1995 has passed but public buildings are not yet accessible for persons with disability. Goa was to make 30 public buildings accessible under the Accessible India Campaign by 2017 but nothing has been done till date even though Rs. 4 crores has been received from Central Government for the project.
"We cannot think of education, employment or entertainment of persons with disability if there is no accessibility of public buildings, communication and websites as mandated under the law," says DRAG.
7. Revision of schemes for welfare of persons with disability:The schemes for welfare of persons with disability have not been revised for last 15 years. There is an urgent need to revise the schemes to keep up with the cost of living.
8. Release of DSS and NSAP payments:Persons with disability have not received their Dayanand Social Security money for the last over three months. Many of them are having a hard time as this is their only source of income. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced Rs. 1,000/- as COVID relief under National Social Assistance Programme. This also has not yet been disbursed in Goa.
9. Subsidy for marketing of products made by persons with disability:There are lots of products made by persons with disability including the special children. There is a need to provide subsidy in raw materials for products made by them so that their rates can be competitive.
10. Land for Sheltered workshops for persons with disability and homes for persons with disability:There is a severe need for sheltered workshops and homes for persons with disability who have no one to look after them. We request you to allot land to NGOs for this purpose.
President if DRAG, Avelino de Sa, in his letter, copies of which has been marked to Minister for Social Wekfare Milind Naik and Secretary, Goa Department of Social Welfare, has hoped that the Chief Minister will look into the above issues and resolve them at the earliest.(eom)
No comments:
Post a Comment