SHILLONG: The Khasi Disabilities Association (Association of Persons with Disabilities), Central Body, held a meeting recently at the Khasi National Dorbar Hall, Mawkhar, to discuss the memorandum which it had submitted to the Government over four years back.
The Association had, on two occasions, met Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and Social Welfare Minister Deborah Ch Marak but there was no commitment from either of them on the memorandum concerned.
The Association has now decided to meet the Governor to present before him the memorandum and seek his help in order to fulfill the needs of person with disabilities in the State.
Starwin Kharjana, president of the Khasi Disabilities Association Central Body said that the State Government had implemented the Chief Minister Social Assistance Pension Scheme for persons with disabilities through the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) in all the C&RD Blocks of Meghalaya.
According to Kharjana, the beneficiaries were facing problems due to delay in sanction of the pension which they were awaiting since April 2014 and when the Association enquired from the CDPOs they learnt that there was no money for the pension.
The Association recalled that the Chief Minister had launched a mass enrolment drive under the Chief Minister’s Social Assistance Scheme for infirm, widows and persons with disabilities with much fanfare at Thangsning village under Mawkynrew C&RD Block in East Khasi Hills on July 23.
“During his speech the Chief Minister had claimed that there is no age bar for persons with disabilities and widows to avail the pension scheme and all person with disabilities who are in possession of disability certificates issued by Government hospital are eligible to avail the pension scheme. However, some CDPOs refuse to receive the application form of persons with disabilities who are less than 18 years old.”
“If this is the case then whatever the Chief Minister had said is meaningless,” the Association said.
The Association also claimed that several organizations, associations and voluntary group were operating in the name of serving persons with disabilities but they had done nothing for the good and betterment of the disabled. The Association requested the government not to recognize such type of organizations who take all the profit from the government on behalf of persons with disabilities but do nothing for their sake.
