Few disabled persons receive benefits in Ukhrul
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik
Ukhrul, January 11 2015:
Even as the Government formulated and implemented various schemes to extend financial aid to physically challenged persons , few of the targeted beneficiaries received the benefits in Ukhrul district, due mainly to lack of awareness.
As per record maintained by the Social Welfare Office, Ukhrul, just less than 2 percent of the registered disabled persons of the district received disabled scholarship and pension benefits under different schemes.
A total of 1691 disabled persons are registered at the Dept.
Among them, only 33 persons, accounting less than 2 percent of the registered persons, availed the scholarship and pension benefits of the Govt.Scholarship for handicapped students, financial assistance for differently abled persons, unemployment allowances and disabilities pension are some schemes implemented to extend financial assistance to differently abled persons.
Only four persons have enjoyed the disabilities pension benefit.
The lack of awareness among the potential beneficiaries on such schemes is attributed for the low level of benefits claimants.
Besides, most of the disabled persons do not possess the requisite and now mandatory disability certificate.
The department hardly organises disability awareness or assessment camps.