Budget for physically challenged 'drops' to 0.0084 from 0.0093 as percentage of GDP

By Bharat Dogra*
If responsibilities with respect to a most deserving and vulnerable section of our population increase significantly and the government also accepts that responsibilities have increased yet refuses to increase the budget in accordance with increased responsibilities, then surely this is a case of serious injustice.
If on top of it even the limited allocations are frequently cut mid-year and so revised estimates (RE) for several important schemes turn out eventually to be lower than the already low original allocations called Budget Estimates (BE), then surely this injustice is compounded further.
Well, this is what has been seen in recent years and this injustice has become even more severe in the latest budget for financial year 2022-23. At a time when there were very compelling reasons for an exceptionally significant, long overdue rise in allocations, the government has not cared at all to rise to the needs and deliver at least delayed justice.
There are several strong reasons for a significant rise in the allocations for Persons with Disabilities (PwD). Firstly, if recent times of the pandemic have been very tough for ordinary people, these times with all their problems and restrictions have been even more challenging and difficult for PwDs in terms of meeting even their basic needs and requirements.
Secondly, it has become clearer in recent times, particularly with the inclusion of more categories of disabilities, that the number of PwDs is higher than earlier estimates and so more allocations are needed for them. During the 2011 census the number of disabilities was 7 but when the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act 2016 was passed 21 disabilities were included.
In order to implement Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPDA) there is clearly need for additional resources. The Union Government and its Department for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) also have the responsibility for implementing certain international conventions and agreements, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). In 2019 the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) made several recommendations for better and higher allocations linked to real needs.
There has been increasing realization of several neglected aspects and need for urgent work relating to these. Worldwide there is increasing consciousness of several hazardous products and technologies causing rapid increase in certain kinds of disabilities among children. There is urgent need for attending adequately to preventive aspects and research which can contribute to this.
Due to years of neglect, the backlog of attending to urgent needs has grown. According to the National Sample Survey Organisation's "Report on Disability 2018", only 24 per cent of the persons with locomotor disability, 31 per cent of persons with visual impairment and 19 per cent of people with hearing impairment, among those who are under medical advice for assistive devices, have been able to access this. What is more, only relatively smaller numbers have done this under government programs.

According to the DEPwD Annual Report for 2020-21 there has been a big disruption in the delivery of assistive devices. Clearly in view of all this a big intervention on the part of the government to improve the provision of assistive devices is urgently needed.
Last but not the least, due to the low allocations and cuts in recent times, the need for increase of funds has piled up. According to a recently released (February 2022) report titled "In Search of Inclusive Recovery" by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, the ADIP scheme of Assistance to Disabled Persons for Aids and Appliances has seen frequent cuts.

The pandemic has been even more challenging and difficult for PwDs in terms of meeting even their basic needs and requirements

In 2020-21 its actual expenditure was found to be Rs 189 crore compared to original allocation or BE of Rs. 230 crore. Next year in 2020-21 the BE of Rs. 220 crore was cut from Rs 220 crore to Rs 180 crore. Thus at the time of disruption and exceptional difficulties, this important scheme faced cuts instead of increases. Similarly the Deendayal Updhyaya Scheme for Rehabilitation faced a cut from Rs 130 crore to 83 crore worth of actual expenditure in 2020-21.
Next year the BE of Rs 125 crore was slashed to RE of Rs 105 crore. The Scheme for the Implementation of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA) faced a cut from Rs 315 crore to Rs 217 crore in 2019-20, then from Rs 252 crore to Rs 103 crore next year, in terms of comparing BE with actual expenditure.
In 2021-22, the BE of Rs 210 crore, which in the first place was already much less than the BE of the two previous years was slashed further to Rs 147 crore while preparing the RE. Next, if we look at the allocations for scholarship programs , again there were cuts in the three previous years. The allocation for autonomous organisations was Rs 466 crore in 2020-21 but the actual expenditure was only Rs 281 crore.
The allocation for the national mental health programme has faced cuts in the three previous years. The allocations for the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension scheme have been low, have stagnated and on top of it have faced cuts in the three previous years.
Overall the BE for PwDs declined from 0.0097 per cent of the GDP in 2020-21 to 0.0093 per cent in 2021-22. There was a decline in total allocation as well. Shockingly, at a time of huge unmet needs, the percentage share of unutilised resources against budget allocation increased from 4.90 per cent in 2018-19 to 15.66% in in 2019-20 to 34.99 per cent in 2020-21.
Keeping in view all these factors, clearly a big increase in allocation in this year’s budget was badly needed and overdue. However, the budget allocation for PwDs as a percentage of GDP has declined further in the BE for 2022-23 to 0.0084 per cent compared to 0.0093% in the previous year, an even bigger decline than in the previous year. There is no significant increase for any of the key schemes mentioned above and in fact for scholarships there is a decline.
One improvement in the insurance scheme has been highlighted by the government, but this can only be called a minor gain in the middle of the overall feeling of denial of justice.
---
*Honorary convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now; recent books include “India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food”, “Protecting Earth For Children” and “Man over Machine”

Comments

Adani coalmine delayed? Australian senate fails to pass crucial "reform" amendment for project's financial closure

Adanis' Mundra power plant, controversial in Australia By A Representative In what is being described as a new “new hurdle”, the proposed Adani coalmine in the Queensland state of in Australia failed to get the crucial Australian Parliamentary nod, essential for financial closure for one of the biggest coalmining projects in the world. The government lost the Senate vote 35-33, meaning the legislation won't pass until the Senate returns in mid-June.

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

Beyond his riding skill, Karl Umrigar was admired for his radiance, sportsmanship, and affability

By Harsh Thakor* Karl Umrigar's name remains etched in the annals of Indian horse racing, a testament to a talent tragically cut short. An accident on the racetrack at the tender age of nineteen robbed India of a rider on the cusp of greatness. Had he survived, there's little doubt he would have ascended to international stature, possibly becoming the greatest Indian jockey ever. Even 46 years after his death, his name shines brightly, reminiscent of an inextinguishable star. His cousin, Pesi Shroff, himself blossomed into one of the most celebrated jockeys in Indian horse racing.

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

Trust, we (from People to PM and President) did not take a Holy Dip in some Holy Shit!

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava I could see two deeply interlinked aspects between human and water in #MahaKumbh2025. Firstly, the HOPE that a ‘holy dip’ in the River Ganga (colloquially referred as dubki and spiritually as ‘Snan’) will cleanse oneself (especially the sins); and secondly, the TRUST that the water is pure to perform the cleansing alias living the hope. Well, I consider hope to be self-dependent while, trust is a multi-party dependent situation. The focus here is on the trust and I shall write later on hope.

Hyderabad seminar rekindles memories of the spark lit 50 years ago by students

By Harsh Thakor* History is something we constantly remember and reflect upon, but certain moments and events bring it back to our memory in a special way. For the Telugu people, and Telangana in particular, the memorial seminar held on February 20–21 was a significant occasion to recall the glorious events, transformations, leaders, and heroes of past struggles. Thousands of students rewrote the history of people's movements in Andhra Pradesh, carrying revolutionary zeal and the spirit of self-sacrifice to levels comparable to the Russian and Chinese Revolutions.

State Human Rights Commission directs authorities to uphold environmental rights in Vadodara's Vishwamitri River Project

By A Representative The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) has ordered state and Vadodara municipal authorities to strictly comply with environmental and human rights safeguards during the Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project, stressing that the river’s degradation disproportionately affects marginalized communities and violates citizens’ rights to a healthy environment. The Commission mandated an immediate halt to ecologically destructive practices, rehabilitation of affected communities, transparent adherence to National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, and public consultations with experts and residents. The order follows the Concerned Citizens of Vadodara coalition—environmentalists, ecologists, and urban planners—submitting a detailed letter to authorities, amplifying calls for accountability. The group warned that current plans to “re-section” and “desilt” the river contradict the NGT’s 2021 Vishwamitri River Action Plan, which prioritizes floodpla...

Vadodara citizens urge authorities to adhere to environmental mandates in Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project

By A Representative A coalition of environmental activists, ecologists, and urban planners in Vadodara has issued an urgent appeal to state and municipal authorities, demanding strict compliance with court-mandated guidelines for the upcoming Vishwamitri River rejuvenation project. Scheduled to commence in March 2025, the initiative aims to mitigate flooding and restore the river, but citizens warn that current plans risk violating National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders and jeopardizing the river’s fragile ecosystem, home to endangered species like crocodiles and Indian Softshell Turtles.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das* India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on. A soft attitude always creates strong relationships. A relationship should not depend only on spoken words. They should rely on understanding the unspoken feeling too. So w...

Buddhist communities in Michigan protest for Mahabodhi Temple’s return to Buddhist control

By A Representative Buddhist communities in Michigan have staged protests demanding the return of the Mahabodhi Vihara in Gaya, Bihar, India, to full Buddhist control. The Mahabodhi Temple, regarded as the holiest pilgrimage site in Buddhism, is currently managed under the Bodhgaya Temple Act of 1949, which grants a majority of control to non-Buddhists.

Search This Blog