Provision to Include Eligible Applicants Every Month under Divyangjan Pension Scheme-Krishan Kumar Bedi*

*2,07,104 Eligible Persons Receiving Benefits under Divyangjan Pension Scheme Every Month*

Chandigarh, September 16 – Haryana Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Sh. Krishan Kumar Bedi, said that the Divyangjan Pension Scheme is being implemented to provide social security to persons with disabilities. The primary objective of the scheme is to provide social security to persons with disabilities who are unable to sustain themselves with their own resources and require financial assistance from the State Government.

He said that 2,07,104 eligible persons with 60 percent or more disability are being provided a pension at the rate of Rs. 3,200 per month under the Divyangjan Pension Scheme. Eligible beneficiaries are added to the list every month through the District Social Welfare Officer concerned.

The Social Justice and Empowerment Minister said that the eligibility criteria include persons with disabilities aged 18 years or above. The applicant must be a resident of Haryana and should have been a permanent resident of the State for the preceding 15 years at the time of submitting the application. The applicant should have a Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) and should not be receiving support for his or her livelihood from close relatives such as parents, son or grandson. The applicant’s annual income from all sources should not exceed the minimum wage of an unskilled worker as notified by the Labour Department and circulated by the Department from year to year.

*No Age Limit for Persons with Haemophilia, Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Anaemia*

Sh. Krishan Kumar Bedi said that no age limit applies to persons suffering from haemophilia, thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia for availing benefits under the Divyangjan Pension Scheme. However, the applicant’s annual income from all sources should not exceed Rs. 3 lakh.

He said that the scheme applies to persons with disabilities arising from any one of the specified conditions, including locomotor disability, cured leprosy, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, blindness, low vision, hearing impairment, speech and language disability, intellectual disability, specific learning disability, autism spectrum disorder, mental illness, chronic neurological conditions, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities and acid attack, among others. Persons with dwarfism have also been included by the State Government in the disability category and are being provided the benefit of a monthly pension.

Sh. Krishan Kumar Bedi said that in cases of haemophilia, thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia, financial assistance under the Social Security Pension Scheme will be provided only based on a disability certificate issued by the Health Department. In the case of thalassaemia, the beneficiary will have to get the certificate verified every year by the Civil Surgeon concerned to ascertain whether the beneficiary has recovered. If, after verification, the beneficiary is found to have recovered, the financial assistance will be discontinued with immediate effect.

He further said that in cases of haemophilia, thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia, the financial assistance provided under the scheme will be in addition to the benefits received by the applicant under any other Social Security Pension Scheme.