Lakshadweep Schemes

Lakshadweep: Social security and welfare

Introduction of the Sector:

The directive principles of the state policy as laid down in the constitution of our nation have a bearing on Social Welfare. It enjoins the state to ensure the health and strength of workers, men, women and children. It further enjoins the state that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter vocations unsuited to their age and physical strength and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment. The Social Welfare service in the last decades has sought to serve the development and rehabilitation needs of the people in this Union Territory, especially the physically challenged including women and children. The Department is responsible for the implementation of PWD (Persons with Disabilities) Act 1995 in Lakshadweep to cater to the needs of the people coming under this category.

Besides the above programmes, schemes to provide assistance such as Aids and appliances, pension etc. to the physically handicapped, mentally retarded, old aged and poor are also implemented by the Department. For the proper implementation of the welfare programmes it is necessary to equip the people concerned with awareness and necessary knowledge to discharge their functions properly.

Lakshadweep State Haj Committee proposes to implement various welfare programmes for the benefit of pilgrims in Lakshadweep. Their activity is to be supported by the Administration under social security by way of providing financial assistance to enable them to depute Volunteers and to establish a control room during the Haj season.

III. Outlay at a Glance

Details of Schemes:

1. Scheme No.: 3101
2. Name of the schemes: Implementation of PWD Act/ National policy for persons with Disabilities and Aid to handicapped persons
3. Whether continuing or new: Continuing
4. Objectives of the scheme (Separately for each component)

There are physically handicapped, deaf, dumb blind and mentally retarded persons in this Union Territory. Due to their poor financial position they are not able to undergo specialized medical treatment and purchase required artificial limbs, hearing aids, wheel chair/tricycle etc. to overcome their inability and deficiency and also to improve their mobility and ability to lead a normal life. Considering i.e. financial difficulty it is proposed to give financial assistance to such handicapped persons with one escort to undergo the specialized treatment at Mainland required on production of certificate from the Medical Officers and to supply artificial limbs.

The Planning Commission of India in their Fax No.PC(P)/9/55/98-SP dated 2.2.1999 and letter D.O.No.PC(P)2/11/2002-SPC (Vol.III) dated 19.4.2002 have requested the U.T Administration to allocate funds for the continued implementation of National Programme for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (NPRPD) Scheme in the State Sector from the Five Year Plan onwards. The NPRPD is a Scheme with basic objective of providing comprehensive rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities, especially in rural areas closer to their door-steps through a four tier delivery system established at Gram Panchayat, Block District and UT levels. There is a provision for two Community Based Rehabilitation workers (CBRWs) in every Island (Dweep) Panchayat and two Multipurpose Rehabilitation Workers (MRWs) in districts covered under the Scheme.

The Scheme also envisages establishment of a District Centre in every district and a State Resource Centre. The Scheme commenced in 1999-2000 and funds have been provided by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the first three years. The Ministry in their letter D.O.No.16-24/2000-NPRPD dated 24.05.2002 have directed the U.T. Administration to ensure provision of adequate resources in the Xth Five Year Plan as well as in the Annual Plan (2003-2004) to avoid any physical and financial disruption of the programme. Basic objective of the scheme for the year 2011-2012 are -

ยท Cost of artificial limbs/wheel chairs/tricycles/hearing aids etc.
ยท Specialized treatment of disabled persons at Mainland with one escort

a) (Component Name) Cost of artificial limbs/ wheel chairs/ tricycles, hearing aids etc

i) Whether continuing/new: Continuing
ii) Description of the component:

1. Allocation is provided in the plan to meet the expenditure on procurement of artificial limps like wheel chairs/tricycles etc. to handicapped persons.
2. The amount is provided to meet the expenditure on specialized treatment of handicapped persons at mainland.
3. The amount is provided to implement the National Programme of Rehabilitation of persons with Disabilities as instructed by the Ministry to supplement the one time grant sanctioned by Ministry to implement the above scheme.
4. As part of implementation of PWD Act and as per the National Policy for PWDs. The amount is provided in the Plan scheme for providing employment to handicapped persons at island level for which grant in aid to Village (Dweep) Panchayats are to be given. Allowances to handicapped persons are provided in Plan scheme to sanction allowances for handicapped persons, those who are not getting any allowances.
5. The scheme is to provide financial assistance to those parents looking after the mentally retarded handicapped children those who become a burden to their parents even after attaining maturity.
6. The post of Statistical Assistant is provided to create required infrastructure facilities to the newly created department of Social Welfare and Tribal Affairs in the office.

Scheme No.: 3102

2. Name of the schemes: Pension to old destitute widows physically handicapped and mentally retarded persons
3. Whether continuing or new: Continuing
4. Objectives of the scheme (Separately for each component)
The local people especially those belonging to the weaker and financially deprived sections find it very difficult to make both ends meet. As a Social security measure, the Department implemented a scheme to give pension to old aged, widows, disabled due to various physical and mental handicaps. It is proposed to continue this service to the existing 1196 beneficiaries and extend the benefit of pension to another 1500 eligible persons after due verification during XI th Plan period @ Rs.500/- per month.

a) (Component Name): Pension to Old aged, widows, disabled persons due to physically and mentally illness.

i) Whether continuing/new: Continuing
ii) Description of the component: (1) Sanctioning Pension to Old aged, widows disabled persons @ Rs.500/- per month.
iii) Achievements (if continuing): Achievement of Physical and Financial target fixed in the previous Annual Plan 2010-2011 are anticipated

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