Get-hooked January 29, 2020
Budget 2020 – India’s disabled community shares expectations
The Union Budget will be announced on 1 February. The budget announcements over the last few years have been a disappointment for the disabled community. Budget 2019-2020 made no reference to the Accessible India Campaign, a flagship programme of the Modi government. It even failed to acknowledge the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and made provisions under the earlier 1995 Act. We passed the hat around a diverse group of people to ask what they would like to see in the Budget this year as our focus on #StoryOfTheWeek.
Allocations needed to make Accessible India campaign and Railways more visible
Muralidharan, General Secretary, National Platform of Rights of the Disabled, New Delhi
- Allocations being made for implementation of the RPWD Act 2016 and various schemes spelt out in the Act.
- Overall, the Demand for Grants for the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities should be increased substantially.
- Dire need to enhance the Centre’s contribution to disability pension. It continues to remain at a measly ₹300 for the past several years.
- Allocations have to be made for “Research on disability-related technology products and issues” and in service training and sensitisation of disabled employees.
- The National University of Rehabilitation Science & Disability Studies announced in 2015 and the National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation promised in 2016 are yet to see the light of day and demand allocations.
- Given the alarming increase in the number of suicides and mental health issues coming to the fore as also the commitments made under the Mental Health Care Act 2017 substantial increase in allocations for mental health programmes and institutes is required.
- Disability budgeting and disaggregated data on allocations across various ministries for disability has been one of the key demands of the disabled peoples’ organisations. Unfortunately, this has not been forthcoming.
More attention on rare diseases
Smitha Sadashivan, Disability rights Alliance of India, Chennai
“I would like to see more allocation with regards to health and rehabilitation of all disabilities and rare diseases. Attention should also be given to promoting independent living of persons with disabilities. I will be happy if these two things come up considerably in the budget”.
More attention needed for rural disabled population
Akeel Usmani, Disability rights advocate, New Delhi
“In the last few years the amount allocated for schemes for disabled has reduced. The Accessible India Campaign is focusing only on urban areas and more money should be allocated towards schemes for rural disabled population so they have better education and employment opportunities. Separate budgetary allocation needed for Railways to make services accessible and for accessible infrastructure”.
Financial help for para sportspersons
Chitrasen Sahu, Amputee mountaineer, Raipur
“There should be more funds allocated for promotion of para sports. We are winning medals but not enough attention is being given towards training and financial security or other support systems.”
GST should be removed from equipments used by people with disabilities. For example for a wheelchair user, a wheelchair is an important part of daily life functioning. It is not a luxury. Parents of people with disability should get more tax exemptions as they have to bear more expenses on caring for their child. Tax exemption limit should be increased for employed people with disabilities. The government should come up with special insurance policies for disabled people and more bank interest rates should be given for people with disabilities. – Jasmina Khanna, Working professional, Mumbai
Better healthcare for Indian citizens
Nikita Sarah, Head of Advocacy & Communication, The Leprosy Mission India Trust
“There should be more funds allocated for promotion of para sports. We are winning medals but not enough attention is being given towards training and financial security or other support systems.”
Greater transparency & accountability in funding
Seema Lal, Co-founder, TogetherWeCan
“More than how much money is allotted, how wisely it will be used and how much transparency and accountability willI be placed on those organisations receieving these funds is what concerns us more.One area where money is needed is when one parent takes on the role of caregiving for a child with disability. The government needs to give some insurance coverage or some remuneration like family disability pension or something so more parents are willing to work on their own with children”.
Travel concessions for disabled people
Shama Noorani Choudhary, Accessible solutions specialist, Mumbai
- “No GST on access aids for disabled. The equipment required by the disabled are expensive to begin with. Adding GST make them even more expensive and out of reach.
- No GST and tax on auto vehicles for the disabled.
- Concession on travelling on all modes of travel.
- Encourage private and public sectors with perks for providing making their properties or organisation accessible.
- Lower tax brackets for the disabled as their everyday lives are expensive enough without having to pay high taxes”.
Increase pension for disabled unemployed youths
Riitesh Sinha, Innovator, Haryana
“Keeping in view the rate of inflation, pension for disabled unemployed youth should be increased. Also, import duties on various assistive aids, devices and their accessories should be minimised. Funds should be allocated to teach disability studies in primary schools”.
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