National Resource Kit: The Puducherry Chapter (Call for Comments)

Executive Summary

The union territory of Puducherry has not passed any legislation for persons with disabilities but implements the provisions under the central laws. The benefits that are currently being offered to persons with disabilities include educational scholarships and social protection programmes that provide financial assistance, aids and appliances and subsidised fuel among others. The government currently implements around 21 schemes for persons with disabilities.

Quick Statistics

• Capital: Puducherry
• Population: 1,247,953
• Population of Persons with Disabilities: 25,857
• Literacy: 85.85%[1]
• HDI: 0.748[2]
• Department: Social Welfare Department

Legal Provisions

The union territory of Puducherry has not passed any special legislation for persons with disabilities but implements the provisions under the three central laws:

• Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995
• National Trust for Persons with Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act 1999
• Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992

Puducherry implements various schemes for the welfare of persons with disabilities that are listed below in various categories:

Education

The government offers scholarships to eligible students with disabilities in the following categories:

Students with disabilities applying for the scholarships should fulfil the following conditions:

• Total income of the family should not be more than Rs. 35,000 per annum
• Extent of disabilities of applicants should be 40 per cent or more
• Applicants should not be less than five years of age and should have resided in Puducherry for not less than five years.

Social Protection

The government offers annual state awards in recognition of persons with disabilities and services rendered to them. An award of Rs. 10,000 is offered to one outstanding employee with disability in either government or private employment or a person who is self employed. An award of Rs. 15,000 is given to an individual serving the cause of persons with disabilities. An award of Rs. 25,000 is given to an institute serving the cause of persons with disabilities. The awards are given subject to selection by a state level committee. Persons with disabilities selected for awards should have a minimum of 40 per cent disability.

Persons with disabilities who are employees of the government are covered by a group insurance scheme. In case of death of any employee with disability due to an accident while in service, the sum insured would be paid to the family of the deceased employee as follows:

Employees of the government with 40 per cent or more disability are covered under this scheme.

Persons with disabilities who are not employees of the Puducherry government are covered under the Insurance Scheme for Persons with Disabilities other than the employees of the Government of Puducherry 2004. In case of death of the disabled person due to an accident, an amount of Rs. 25,000 is paid to the family. In case of loss of one limb or one eye, an amount of Rs. 12,500 is paid to the person. The policy covers persons with disabilities in the age group of five to 74 years with disability of 40 per cent or more and who are residents of Puducherry for not less than five years.

The government of Puducherry issues identity cards to persons with disabilities for ready reference to avail the benefits of welfare schemes. Persons with disability of not less than 40 per cent and whose total income does not exceed Rs. 35,000 per annum are eligible to apply for identity cards.

The government provides marriage grant for persons with disabilities. For marriage between a disabled person and a non disabled person, a grant of Rs. 25,000 is provided, of which Rs. 5000 is given in cash and Rs. 20,000 is given in the form of National Savings Certificate. For marriage between persons with disabilities, a grant of Rs. 50,000 is given. Of this, Rs. 20,000 is paid in cash and Rs. 30,000 is given in the form of National Savings Certificate. Persons with disabilities applying for this grant should fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• Total income should not exceed Rs. 35,000 per annum
• Should be above the age of 18 years (in case of women) and 21 years (in case of men).
• Extent of disability should be 40 per cent or above
• Should be the first marriage of the applicant
• Marriage should be registered with the registrar
• Should be a resident of the union territory of Puducherry
• Application for the grant should be made within 120 days of the marriage

The government of Puducherry implements a scheme to provide subsidy on fuel to persons with disabilities who own motorised vehicles. The scheme provides 50 per cent subsidy on fuel to a maximum of 25 litres per month. Applicants who fulfil the following eligibility criteria are eligible to apply:

• Total income should not exceed Rs. 35,000 per annum
• Extent of disability should be 40 per cent or more
• Applicant should have resided in Puducherry for more than five years
• The vehicle should be registered in the name of the applicant
• Applicant should have a valid driver’s licence

The government of Puducherry grants financial assistance to persons with disabilities. Persons whose extent of disabilities are between 40 percent and 65 per cent are eligible for a grant of Rs. 1100 per month, those with disabilities between 66 per cent and 85 per cent are eligible for a grant of Rs. 1400 per month and persons with more than 86 per cent disabilities are eligible for a grant of Rs. 1750 per month. Persons applying for financial assistance should not have income exceeding Rs. 35,000 per annum and should have resided in Puducherry for not less than five years. Extent of disabilities for visually impaired, orthopedically disabled and hearing and speech impaired should be 40 per cent or more and those with mental disabilities should have an IQ less than 69 to be eligible to apply.

The government offers reimbursement for maintenance of tricycles for persons with disabilities. A grant of Rs. 200 per annum is offered to persons who fulfil the following criteria:

• Extent of disability should be 40 per cent or more
• Applicant should have resided in Puducherry for not less than five years
• Tricycle should have been supplied by the Department or NGO free of cost
• Applicant should produce the bill for repair charges issued in their name

The government supplies motorised tricycles free of cost to persons with locomotor disability affecting the lower limbs. The disability should be not less than 65 per cent. Total annual income of the applicant’s family should not exceed Rs. 35,000. Applicant should have resided in Puducherry for not less than five years. The applicant should be certified by the concerned medical authority that he or she is able to operate the motorised vehicle. The applicant should not be in receipt of transport allowance for conveyance from the department or any other source. The applicant should be in gainful employment or be pursuing higher studies.

Persons with disabilities are provided aids and appliances such as callipers, crutches, tricycles, hearing aids, spectacles and low vision aids by the government upon the advice of the specialists concerned attached to government general hospitals at Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Persons applying for these appliances should have an income not exceeding Rs. 24,000 per annum, should have resided in Puducherry for not less than five years and the extent of their disability should be 40 per cent or more.

The government provides free bus passes to persons with disabilities for travelling within the union territory. Persons with at least 40 per cent disabilities, who are residents of Puducherry for not less than five years and whose annual income does not exceed Rs. 35,000 are eligible to apply for the free bus passes.

Persons with disabilities are eligible to receive Rs. 100 per month through Anganwadi centres towards transport allowance. Persons applying for the allowance should fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• Total income should not exceed Rs. 35,000 per annum
• Should be above five years of age
• Extent of disability should be 40 per cent or more
• Should not have any formal educational qualification
• Should have resided in Puducherry for not less than five years

If the applicant is in possession of free bus pass, he or she should surrender the same to the Directorate of Social Welfare. Applicant should also declare in the application form whether he or she would prefer to avail the transport allowance or the free bus pass.

Organisations working for the welfare of persons with disabilities are eligible to received musical and sports equipment from the government. Organisations must be registered to be eligible for this scheme.

Persons with visual impairment are eligible to receive a radio from the government. Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Income should not exceed Rs. 35,000 per annum
• Extent of disability should be 40 per cent or more
• Should have been a resident of Puducherry for not less than five years

Persons with disabilities are provided sarees and dhotis during Deepavali and other regional festivals. Persons wishing to benefit from the scheme should have at least 40 per cent disability, should have resided in Puducherry for not less than five years and should have registered themselves with the local Anganwadi centres.

The government of Puducherry conducts a free annual tour for persons with disabilities to places of interest. Participants are selected for the tour conditionally upon meeting the following eligibility criteria:

• Should be in the age group of 18 to 50 years
• Extent of disability should be 40 per cent or more
• Should not be a government employee or child of a government employee
• Income should not exceed Rs. 35,000 per annum
• Should not have attended the tour in the past ten years
• Should not suffer from any contagious diseases
• Should have registered their names in the local Anganwadi centres

The government of Puducherry celebrates the International Day for Persons with Disabilities on the 3rd of December every year with activities and games.

Puducherry implements the Perunthalaivar Karmaveerar Kamaraj scheme towards funeral expenses of persons with disabilities. A grant of Rs. 2000 is given for the funeral expenses of persons with at least 40 per cent disability who have resided in Puducherry for not less than five years and whose income was less than Rs. 35,000 per annum. The grant is paid to the family member under whose care the deceased person was living at the time of his or her death.

Miscellaneous

Puducherry offers cash incentive to eye donors to encourage eye donation. An incentive of Rs. 10,000 is awarded to a close relative of the donor. Donors should be 18 years of age or older to be eligible. Donors should have resided in Puducherry for not less than five years. The incentive can be claimed by a close relative only after the transplantation is completed. The incentive can be claimed only upto 90 days after the transplantation.

[1]. http://www.census2011.co.in/census/state/puducherry.html

[2].http://indiatext.net/states-of-india/