NEW DELHI: Rs 8 lakh crore for disabled welfare? The ministry of social justice and empowerment has asked government departments to earmark 3% of their budget on disabled-related interventions, raising the possibility of the huge sum over next five years that can bring the ignored social group to policy focus.
The initiative flows from the 12th Plan document that has asked all government arms to earmark "reasonable amount" in their plan outlay for the disabled.
The social ministry has extended the logic of Persons with Disabilities Act mandating 3% reservation for disabled in poverty alleviation schemes to argue the same quantum of a ministry's budget be set aside for the disabled.
According to the ministry, the outlay of Rs 26,64,941 crore across 26 ministries would yield Rs 79,94,82 crore.
Social Justice minister Selja has written to all ministries, urging them to make budgetary allocations for disabled benefit over five years. "Please issue instructions to all concerned in your ministry," she wrote to her cabinet colleagues.
If the advice is accepted, the budgetary allocation would mark a leg-up for the disabled who are beginning to organize themselves for government attention.
However, the hurdle in this direction is the indifference among government arms in making special outlays for social groups. A similar focus on dalits and tribals has failed to fructify despite starting in 1970s. The SC Sub-Plan and the Tribal Sub-Plan are still in their infancy despite the passage of long period.
SCSP and TSP mandate every government body to allocate funds exclusively for SCs and STs in proportion of their population. The social justice ministry has repeatedly protested at the failure of government bodies in implementing the two sub-plans.
Minister Selja recently wrote to the PM and the planning commission, criticising the decision to include under sub-plans the "estimated consumption" of SCs/STs under ministries exempted from allocating funds under them.
The exemption is given to these ministries because it is not possible to identify beneficiary groups of "public services" like roads. The "estimated consumption" method was devised to bridge the shortfall in the target of SCSP and TSP.
Sources said the attempt to get 3% budget for disabled was only a beginning and it would be an uphill task to get the ministries to implement it.
The 3% reservation for disabled, mandated by Persons with Disabilities Act, has still not taken off after over 15 years.
Rs 8 lakh crore funds? Disabled welfare may get a leg-up
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Rs 8 lakh crore funds? Disabled welfare may get a leg-up
