LONG WAY TO GO
No doubt that the Modi government is moving steadily in the direction to provide all necessary amenities to the differently-abled but the ultimate fulfillment of the goal to ensure all facilities to the people having special needs is a distant dream which needs more focus and proficient steps to cater to the demands of these specially-abled people. In this context, a disability rights group has rightly expressed its disappointment with the draft National Policy for Persons with Disabilities because the same sans budgetary support and monitoring mechanisms which are the prerequisite for doing something meaningful for the people having special needs. It is good that the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has invited suggestions on the draft policy from stakeholders by July 9 because after getting the suggestions there is likelihood that required changes will be given chance but with sufficient funding things seems to be rolling on papers only as money is required for bringing out relevant changes which could help in changing the life of the people having extraordinary needs. It has been reported that major portions of the draft policy are devoted to reiterating what is already spelt out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or mandated by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPD Act) or programmes/schemes already operating thus making no headway in providing the people with special needs what is their immediate need. The draft policy for specially abled lacks any kind of required panacea which can bail out specially abled from their current miserable condition although the same has called for remedying the situation. The biggest injustice is that no increase in the Centre’s contribution towards disability pension is recommended, which continues to be merely Rs. 300 per month, which is worth buying not more than 5 Kg of onions or potatoes. Surely this is mockery and a cruel joke with those who are expecting more from the government. With no concrete measures given for poverty alleviation of the specially abled it is simply not done and needs to be rectified before bringing this on ground.