As the Punjab polles inch closer, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday released a special manifesto of the party for differently-abled persons in Punjab. Assuring a hike in monthly pension to Rs 2,500.
He addressed a plethora of differently-abled persons and said, “Pension will be raised (up to Rs 2500) and directly transferred into bank accounts of the physically challenged persons.” Kejrwal on behalf of AAP government would increase minimum income condition for pension eligibility from Rs 12,000 per annum to Rs 1 lakh per annum, if they come to power.
He said that for pension purposes, level of disability will be reduced from 50 to 40 per cent and bed-ridden patients will be provided necessary kit, including wheel-chair. Every physically challenged bed-ridden person will be provided a ‘caretaker’ allowance of Rs 5,000 per month. Jobs for handicapped persons would be cleared within a year and one lakh such people would be skilled and provided livelihood on priority during the next five-years, he added.
He said land registration fee for such persons would be reduced, as in case of women, and one-time compensation to ‘khet mazdoor’ and farmers suffering handicap would be enhanced from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
Kejriwal promised a specially equipped wing for handicapped would be set up in all hostels for students and professionals in every district and a special school for hearing speech-impaired and mentally challenged people.
The Right of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, passed by the Centre would be implemented by the AAP government in letter and spirit, Kejriwal said.
