PANJIM: The State Commission for Disabilities Rights has proposed before the government to set up a separate department for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) on the lines of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. 

State Commissioner Guruprasad Pawaskar informed that with the addition to the types of disabilities, the number of PwDs has increased to nearly 90,000 in the State. 

Pawaskar while having an interaction with mediapersons said, "We have proposed to have a separate department for the disabled persons as Department of Social Welfare already has so many schemes and works they have to do for welfare of widows, senior citizens and hundreds of schemes". 

"Presently, Women and Child Department is doing early intervention, special education is being taken care by Education Department, Social Welfare is giving doles to senior citizens of Dayanand Social Security (DSS) Scheme, Health Department is also doing something else for PWDs. All this should come under one umbrella," Pawaskar said. 
 

Today the number of disabilities have increased three fold but the certification is delayed due to the load on the existing system," he informed.

While explaining the efforts that are being put in for employment to the PwDs Pawaskar informed "Discussions and deliberations were held with the GCCI for employment to PwDs in Goa. We have moved a proposal to the labour and employment to provide for incentive to private employers for employing PwDs. The idea is to make them economically independent".

The Commissioner also agreed to the fact that there is a lot of work to be done as far as making transportation system PwDs friendly and accessible. 

Pawaskar has also informed that the Commission has written to all the line departments involved in construction of buildings not to issue occupancy certificates, which do not meet the harmonised guidelines of making infrastructure disabled-friendly. 

Source: https://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Proposal-for-separate-Dept-for-PwDs-on-lines-of-MP-Raj-and-Maha/199438