Bhubaneswar: The DEpartment of Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) in collaboration with Centre PSU Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) is going to distribute 500 e- rickshaws to underprivileged persons with disabilities (PwDs) across the State as a livelihood support.
As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), Centre PSU Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has collaborated with the State government to support the needy PwDs.
The SSEPD Department has planned to distribute 500 e-rickshaws to such disabled persons in all 30 districts of Odisha. Accordingly, the Department has asked all Collectors to identify the beneficiaries through proper shortlisting, officials said.
As per the criteria set by the SSEPD Department, the applicant PwD should be a permanent domicile of Odisha and should be 18 years of age, minimum. The applicant should be a person with benchmark disability and holder of valid UDID and Aadhar card.
The applicant should be medically fit for driving an e-rickshaw, he/she should not be a government servant/ income tax payer or supplied with such a vehicle earlier.
In case of hearing impaired PwDs, only hearing aids users are eligible for selection. The beneficiary must have the required muscle power of the upper limbs to drive the vehicle.
Besides, the applicant should not be involved in any kind of crime or addicted to drug, alcohol and the annual income should be below Rs 1 lakh.
Acid attack victims, dwarfism, locomotor disability, hearing impairment (hard of hearing), speech & language disability, hemophilia, sickle cell disease and thalassemia patients can avail the benefit of e- rickshaw.
The Department has also formed a committee led by Collector to shortlist the beneficiaries, in accordance with the above criteria. The Collectors have been asked to submit the list of beneficiaries within 15 days.