NCPEDP seeks hike in coronavirus ex-gratia to disabled persons, writes to PM

The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately increase COVID-19 lockdown ex-gratia payable to the disabled persons to Rs 5,000 from the present Rs 1,000.

NCPEDP executive director Arman Ali, in a letter to Modi, also sought an adequate economic package for rehabilitation of persons with disabilities (PwDs), impacted by the lockdown, to resume their lives with dignity and independence.

There should be a uniformity in the pension being paid to PwD throughout the country, he said, adding that the "comprehensive disability inclusive guidelines for protection and safety of persons with disabilities (Divyangjan) during COVID-19", released by the department for empowerment of persons with disabilities, must be enforced strictly.

In India about 20 per cent of the poor are PwDs, and almost 70 per cent of such disabled persons are unemployed or engaged in informal sectors for their livelihood, he said.

Ali said accessibility to information plays a key role in inclusion of PwDs and insisted that all announcements should be made in accessible formats with preferred use of electronic media like radio and television.