In a move to support persons with special abilities, the Delhi government has announced a monthly financial assistance of Rs 5,000 for individuals with high special needs in the city.
Announcing the initiative on Tuesday, Delhi Social Welfare Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj credited it to former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal saying his ‘treasury of honesty’ is the vision behind the scheme. He issued necessary directions to officials for the immediate implementation of the scheme.
According to Bharadwaj, the decision, passed by the cabinet in its latest meeting, makes Delhi the first state in India to provide such significant support to this vulnerable section of society.
The Delhi government already provides pensions to over 1,20,000 individuals whose condition in this regard exceeds 42 per cent, and now, persons with over 60 per cent of high special needs, as verified by medical certificates and UDID cards, will be eligible for a Rs 5,000 monthly pension.
The minister shared that according to the 2011 Census, approximately 2,44,882 people in Delhi are specially-abled. “Based on WHO estimates, we have assessed that around 9,500 to 10,000 individuals in the city are considered to have high special needs,” he added.
He said the government would soon open registration for eligible candidates with high special needs, who would need to have a medical certificate, and once verified, these individuals will be entitled to receive Rs 5,000 per month in financial assistance.
The minister said Tamil Nadu is the lone state in the country that offers Rs 1,000 per month financial assistance to persons with high special needs while the Delhi government would provide five times that.