Lok Sabha Question No. 3412 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-07
Subject: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH, NALIN KUMAR KATEEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3412 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.08.2018

## WELFARE SCHEMES FOR VULNERABLE SECTIONS

## 3412. SHRI DK SURESH SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the Welfare schemes introduced by the Government for vulnerable sections of the population during the last three years and the current year;
- (b) whether all the schemes are implemented successfully to reach the targeted beneficiaries and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any study/survey to find out the performance of these schemes at the grassroots level;
- (d) if so, the details and the outcome of the study/survey; and
- (e) the details of funds allocated and utilized for the said schemes during the said period, State/Scheme and year-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI VIJAY SAMPLA)

(a) & (b): The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched the *Rashtriya st Vayoshri Yojana   (RVY) on 1 April, 2017 with an objective to provide   senior  citizens, belonging to BPL category and suffering from age related disabilitiesl infirmities, with physical aids and assisted living devices such as walking  sticks, elbow crutches, walkers/ crutches, tripods/ quadpods, hearing aids, wheelchairs, artificial dentures and spectacles free of cost to the beneficiary senior citizens. The Scheme is implemented through the Artificial Limbs a Social Justice and Empowerment. Prospective beneficiaries are identified by the doctors/technicians/other   professionals to assess their needs and to   prescribe the requisite Assistive Devices in the Assessment Camps organised by ALIMCO and then distributed to the identified beneficiaries in the camp mode. The Scheme is funded from Senior Citizens Welfare Fund (SCWF) At present a total of 292 districts from all State/UTs have been selected for the implementation of RVY. As on 26-07-2018, 46 Distribution Camps have been organized where 112380 aids and assistive devices were distributed to 49184 Senior Citizens. being being

- 2 The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has introduced the Scheme of Free  Coaching to Students with Disabilities  (SwDs) 1.4\_ 2017. The   objective of the Scheme is to provide coaching of quality for economically disadvantaged students with disabilities,  having minimum 40%/ disability to enable them to appear in competitive examinations and to succeed in obtaining employment in Government/ Public/Private sector: This   scheme has been merged with the Umbrella scheme of Scholarships for Students with Disabilities (SwDs) The Umbrella scheme has six components i.e\_ Pre-matric Scholarship; Post-matric  Scholarship, Class   Education; National Overseas Scholarship; National Fellowship and Free Coaching for SwDs. The scheme is   being   implemented successfully and at present 150 SwDs are getting free coaching: good Top
- (c) & (d): As these were launched recently, the Government has not conducted any study.
- (e) The fund in respect of Rashtriya Vayoshre Yojana is released to the implementing agency i.e. ALIMCO for organizing Assessment Distribution Camps throughout the country. During last 2 years (i.e. 2017-18 and 2018-19) an amount of Rs.17.5 crore has been released:
- Rs. 2.0 crore was allocated Coaching to Students with Disabilities. During 2018-19, Rs.0.22 crore has been spent against the budgetary allocation of Rs.75.66 crore.