IE : The disabled look to CM with hope : Sept 10, 2007

The disabled look to CM with hope

Nisha Nambiar

Pune, September 8: In December 2000, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had
during the State Assembly session announced the State Plan of Action (SPOA)
for Persons with Disability. Seven years later, the plan - envisaged for
five years with an outlay of Rs 800 crore - is yet to take off.
When contacted, the chief minister said he "would have to look into the
issue as it is seven years old." When pointed out that it was he who
announced the plan, he said: "Please ask them to see me. If the plan is for
the benefit of the people, I will definitely support the initiative.''

Deshmukh had announced the plan during his first term which was from October
18, 1999 to January 17, 2003 and now the CM who is serving his second term,
after he took over on November 1, 2004 will be looking into it again.
Pune-based disabled activist Samir Ghosh, who was asked to prepare the plan,
is ready to meet Deshmukh with the plan again. He said the persons with
disability are still living with hope that the "progressive looking plan
will be implemented some day which will bring a ray of hope and relief to
the disabled sector.''

Ghosh had recently met Supriya Sule, MP, and even sent a letter to the State
Chief Secretary, wanting to know the progress of the SPOA. The plan was
initially taken up by Subash Lala, the then secretary to the Ministry of
Social Justice to work out the modalities of implementing it. "But did not
pursue it further," he said.

Ghosh said despite several ambitious national programmes, the overall
development indicators of the PwD remained abysmally low on almost all
fronts. With his expertise in the field of social policy and planning, Ghosh
put forth the plan after a lot of consultations and attendings workshops
which looked at PwDs having a "stronger say in their life through ensured
participation."

Pooling resources being one important factor, in the letter, he also
mentioned that in a recent World Bank team interaction, they had expressed
interest in partnering with states who would want to take up the issues in
the disability sector. Ghosh wants the government to take cognisance of it
now, as he had envisaged the participation of World Bank and wants the
government to meet and explore the cooperation from this front.

The plan scans through various development opportunities in India keeping in
congruence with the perspective defined by the United Nations, the GoI, the
State Government and NGOs as well as present situation and current
programmes run by the department of the social justice in line with the PwD
act. The plan looks at the components of education, health, vocational
training and employment and rehabilitation services.

Publicationb : IE; Section : Maharastra; Pg: 5; Date : 10/9/07
URL : http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=255299