Lok Sabha Question No. 155 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-21
Subject: Schemes for Persons with 80 Percent Disability
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE  & EMPOWERMENT

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.155

##### 1 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2015

Schemes for Persons with 80 Percent Disability

155. SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL:

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

| (a) the number of differently abled persons with more than 80% disability in the country, State and gender-wise;                                                                 |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (b) whether the Government has separate schemes for the disabled persons with more than 80% disability and if so, the details thereof; and                                       |
| (c)  whether the Government has any mechanism to identify and certify the children with more than 80% disability within two years of their birth and if so, the details thereof? |

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(SHRI KRISHANPAL GURJAR)

| (a) Data regarding the persons having more than 80% disability in the country, State and gender-wise is not maintained in the Department.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (b)  Yes, Sir. The major schemes/benefits provided to persons with more than 80% disability are as follows:  (i)    Under Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme, persons with disabilities are given pension of Rs. 300/- per month to the person with disabilities between the age of 18 and 79 years and Rs. 500 per month to those beyond 79 years of age.  …2/-  -2-  (ii)   Railway grants concession to four categories of disabled persons and that too in extreme cases of disability, i.e. (i) orthopaedically Handicapped/Paraplegic persons who cannot travel without an escort (ii) mentally retarded persons who cannot travel without an escort (iii) completely Blind persons when travelling alone or with escort (iv) totally Deaf & Dumb Persons (both afflictions together in the same person) when travelling alone or with escort.  (iii)     Air India offers 50% discount on the normal economy class fare for travel on the domestic network to persons suffering from complete blindness and locomotor disabilities with appropriate certification from designated medical officers to the disability to the extent of 80% and above.  (iv)    Rebate in Income Tax under Section 80 U with deduction of Rs. 1,00,000/- in case of persons with severe disability ( 80% or more); and under Section 80 DD, Deduction of Rs. 1,00,000/- from the total income on medical treatment, training, rehabilitation including payment of insurance for these purposes for a dependent disabled in case of persons with severe disability with 80% or more disability.  The person with severe disabilities are also entitled for the benefits provided under various schemes under the Department such as Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme, Scheme of Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids/Appliances etc. |
| (c)  As per section 25 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995,  the appropriate Governments and the local authorities within the limits of their economic capacity and development, with a view to preventing the occurrence of disabilities, shall, inter-alia promote various methods of preventing disabilities; screen all the children at least once in a year for the purpose of identifying "at-risk" cases and take measures for pre-natal, parental and post-natal care of mother and child.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |

*****