Provision of Rs. 130 crore under Disability Relief Allowance Scheme

· Process completed for filling 227 posts in current financial year

In line with the state government’s commitment to the welfare of every individual in society, the Department of Empowerment of Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and the Specially Abled was working diligently.

Kiran Bhadana, Director of the department, stated today that various schemes were being implemented to ensure social equality, rights protection and holistic development for the destitute and specially-abled individuals. Efforts were being made to make them socially, economically and educationally empowered while ensuring four percent reservation in government jobs under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

During the current financial year, the process of filling 227 posts of specially abled individuals in Class III and Class IV categories across various departments, corporations and public undertakings has been completed by the Directorate of Empowerment of Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and Specially Abled.

The Director said that under the Disability Relief Allowance Scheme, 77,453 differently-abled individuals in the state were receiving a monthly allowance. Persons with 40 percent more disability were being provided a pension ranging from Rs. 1,150 to Rs. 1,700 per month. Apart from this, a provision of Rs. 130.33 crore has been made for providing pension for specially-abled individually in the financial year 2024-25.

Additionally, all specially-abled students pursuing education in government-recognized institutions were eligible for monthly scholarships ranging from Rs. 625 to Rs. 5,000 as an incentive for academic and vocational education, irrespective of age. A budget of Rs. 1.70 crore has been allocated for the Disability Scholarship Scheme in the financial year 2024-25. She said that the government was also providing festive allowance or Rs. 500 to each specially-abled inmate of special homes for which the government had made a provision of 67 lakh rupees for the present financial year.

She also highlighted that under the marriage grant for disability financial assistance ranging from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000 was being provided to specially-abled individuals for marriage. Furthermore, special educational institutions were also being run for these children.

Kiran Bhadana informed that 95,105 specially-abled individuals in the state have been issued Unique Disability Identity Cards, ensuring their eligibility for all welfare schemes and reservations in government jobs. The government was also providing loans at low-interest rates to specially-abled individuals through the Himachal Pradesh Minorities Finance and Development Corporation.