816 differently-abled girls get govt aid

Hyderabad: Thanks to the untiring efforts of the Network of Persons with disAbility Organisations (NPdO), an organisation fighting for the disabled, around 816 differently-abled girls from Nalgonda district were enrolled under the Girl Child Protection Scheme (GCPS) till November. Earlier, the number of handicapped girls enrolled was just 136.

Although the state government has been making tall claims that lakhs of girls were included in Girl Child Protection Scheme (GCPS), the ground situation is entirely the opposite. The main aim of the scheme (launched in 2005-06) was to prevent gender discrimination in the society by empowering and protecting rights of girl children born in poor families (whose annual income was less than one lakh rupees) through direct investment from government.

Accordingly, a one-time cash transfer of one lakh rupees would be made into the LIC account of the girl child on her 20th birthday. In order to receive the funds, the girl must be registered at birth, receive essential immunisations, complete education up to grade 12 and remain unmarried until she attains the age of 20. However, the big difference in the number of physically handicapped girls included in this scheme prior to NPdO’s intervention exposed government’s apathy.

After learning about this indifference, NPdO’s Nalgonda district co-ordinator, Chinta Krishna approached the AP Women Development and Child Welfare Department (APWDCWD) to know the exact number on the government list. According to his knowledge, there were more than thousand differently-abled girls in Nalgonda district alone. In spite of filing an application under RTI Act, he did not get the desired answer from the government authorities.

Later, with the help of a vernacular daily, NPdO filed an appeal again after which the concerned department authorities disclosed the information that 136 girls were enrolled under GCPS in Nalgonda district. The organisation for disabled then filed an application with district medical and health department to find out the exact number of handicapped girls (since it would be issuing certificates at the time of birth with details about physical condition of the new born babies).

The reply given was that 1,402 physically handicapped girls (below 20 years of age) were present in the district Krishna then made countless number of visits to offices of APWDCWD, district collector, ICDS project director and Disabled Welfare Department, assistant director and brought the anomaly to their notice but in vain. Failing to get the desired response, he approached Lokayukta which served notices on the concerned departments.

The APWDCWD then constituted a three-member committee which visited Nalgonda district and interacted with NPdO besides government officials. The committee assured that all the disabled girls born before April 30, 2013 would be included in the scheme. Accordingly 816 names have been included till November and the number is bound to increase in the coming days, Krishna said.