The study focused on implementation of the two nationwide government schemes –The National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)—in eight states and found even the tentative efforts to include the blind in them were distorted.

The study covered two states from each region, one each for NHFDC and MNREGS programmes. While Punjab, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and Karnataka were probed for the MGNREGS, the NHFDC implementation was looked into in Haryana, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu.

“In the case of NHFDC, it was noticed that only 3 pc of the total beneficiaries are visually impaired. In MGNREGS, this figure stands at almost insignificant levels,” the study stated, adding that both the schemes ignored concerns of the blind and low vision persons and failed to maintain accurate data of the beneficiaries.

In Punjab, 602 of the 1,193 visually impaired persons listed as beneficiaries of self employment schemes under the NHFDC, the study found none of them to be blind. While in Puttur (Karnataka) out of the 43 persons enlisted under the MGNREGS as visually challenged, 42 were found to be able bodied.

Loans unused

In many cases, loans taken from NHFDC were not used for the stated purposes, while no vocational guidance or training of choice were provided for the beneficiaries.

Even amongst the few beneficiaries, uncertainties over the scheme’s continuity and their inclusion was found to be prevalent despite the schemes helping them in terms of financial independence.

The study recommends inclusion of provisions specific to the blind and low vision in the policy documents, amendment of the MGNREG Act to include three per cent reservation for persons with disability (as required by the Persons With Disability Act, 1995, for all poverty reduction programmes) and one per cent for the blind, and provisions to train NHFDC applicants.

“The programmes are meant to benefit all those who are marginalised,” said Muthu Selvi, AICB Secretary , who had also assisted the study.

“While it is not only leaving out significant blind population living in rural areas and reeling under poverty, it has failed to ensure and monitor if the resources under the programmes reach the right beneficiaries,” she said.

“Unlike the educated visually challenged, those in rural areas are excluded even in the poverty alleviation programmes as required by the PWD (1995) Act. As a result they remain excluded,” she pointed out.

The NGO obtained data through a mixture of RTI applications, interviews with block level officials and direct interviews with the supposed recipients in the study that lasted for a year.