Bhubaneswar: Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSPED) Minister Nityanand Gond showering blessings on homeless persons with disabilities (PwDs), today asked all District Collectors to launch a special drive to provide land, houses to all homeless persons with disabilities (PwDs).
The Minister has written a letter to all District Collectors in this regard on 12 August. Principal Secretary SSEPD Bishnupada Sethi is monitoring the issue with the District Collectors, said official sources.
Shri Gond has also asked the Collectors to identify homeless disabled families and include them in various government welfare schemes through a special campaign within a time frame on priority basis.
He said that many homeless persons with disabilities (PwDs) are residing in different parts of rural and urban areas in a very bad condition.
As per Section-37 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD), 5 percent reservation should be given in allotment of land and houses to persons with disabilities, he mentioned.
According to this law, the society must maintain a decent standard of living for the disabled persons. Therefore, the physically challenged persons, senior citizens, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes, minorities, unmarried women, transgender and other weak and vulnerable sections of the society should also be given priority in allotment of land and houses, the Minister said.
Shri Gond asked the Collectors to allot houses on the first floor or ground to the families of disabled persons and senior citizens for their convenience.
The Collectors have been further asked to follow the guidelines of Government of India to identify all the homeless and houseless Dibang beneficiaries and launch a special campaign to provide them with land and housing.
In 2019, the Ministry of Rural Development had directed all States to implement “The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016” and to ensure the increase in quota from 3 percent to 5 percent of beneficiaries who belong to ‘persons with disability’.
Further, all the States/UT’s were requested to adhere to the reservation quota for PMAY-G as mentioned above.
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari said that land of 4 decimal will be distributed to all homestead-less persons of the State in next five years. Not a single family will remain homeless after five years, he claimed.