A National Conference on “Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)”was inaugurated today by the Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment ThaawarchandGehlot here today. He delivered the key note address on the detailed account of the scheme. The Conference was organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. About 600 delegates from across the country participated in the conference.
The objective of the conference was to sensitize the stakeholders of the scheme i.e. Programme Implementing Agencies (PIAs), District level officers & State Government officers. Earlier the DEPwD organized three Regional Conferences at Secunderabad on 22.12.2018, Mumbai on 17.01.2019 and Kolkata on 18.02.2019 covering the Southern, Western, Central, Eastern and North-Eastern regions of the country.
Delivering inaugural address, Gehlot said that the “7th Guinness Book of World Record” has been created by DEPwD yesterday at Bharuch, Gujarat where ‘Modern Artificial Limbs (Legs)’ were implanted on 260 Divyangjans within eight hours. DEPwD has already created six World Records in other categories.
ISLRTC under DEPwD has recently prepared a Directory comprising 6000 words for the hearing impaired Divyangjans and more than 1700 visually impaired children have been treated with Cochlear Implant Surgery and almost all of them are now leading a normal life. DEPwD has also provided ‘Motorized Tricycles’ to the Divyangjans nationwide for their smooth movement and Department of Transport is helping them.
The conference was to disseminate the provisions of the revised scheme and to sensitize various stake holders about it. This conference provided a unique opportunity for interactions amongst all stakeholders to ensure exchange of cross-sectoral views on the aspects of the efficacy of the scheme as well as the scope of improvements in it. Ithad a profound impact on the implementation of the DDRS for the welfare of the Divyangjan. It sensitized the PIAs about the major changes brought about in the revised scheme and created awareness among major stakeholders, viz. State Government and District Level Officers and NGOs in popularizing the scheme further, thereby promoting the well-being of Divyanjans (Persons with Disabilities).
Under the Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme, every year more than 600 NGOs are provided with financial assistance for running their projects for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities such as Special school, pre-school and early intervention, Half-way Homes and Community Based Rehabilitation etc. The NGOs being funded are providing the rehabilitative services to more than 35000 to 40000 beneficiaries every year. In the implementation process of the scheme, the role of State Government is very crucial. The recommendation from the District Social Welfare Officer and State Government is important in release of grant-in-aid. The budget allocation for the year 2018-19 is Rs. 70.00 crores.
Although the DDRS Scheme was in existence from 1999, yet a major revamp has been carried out in its provisions with effect from 01.04.2018. The scheme has been revised for making it more impactful for rehabilitation of PwDs. Improvements made in the scheme include increase of honorarium and other cost norms by 2.5 times, streamlining the process of application and processing of proposals, rationalising the number of model projects from 18 to 9, etc.
The list of model projects includes:
- Pre-Schools, Early Intervention and Training
- Special Schools forChildren with
- Intellectual Disabilities
- Hearing and Speech Disabilities and
- Visual Disabilities
- Project for Cerebral Palsied children
- Rehabilitation of Leprosy cured persons
- Half Way Home for psycho-Social Rehabilitation of treated and controlled Mentally ill persons
- Home Based Rehabilitation
- Community Based Rehabilitation Programme (CBR)
- Low Vision Centres and
- Human Resource Development.
