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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) today approved certain modifications in the existing scheme of assistance to disabled persons for purchase/fitting of Aids/Appliances (ADIP Scheme).
The modifications include raising the income eligibility ceiling for 100 per cent concession from the existing Rs.5000 per month to Rs.6500 and for a 50 per cent concession from Rs.6501 to Rs.10,000 per month. The present ceiling of Rs.6000 per assistive device will be continued while dropping the lower limit of Rs.50. However, motorized tricycles for persons with locomotor disability and software for visually handicapped persons using computers costing more than Rs.6000 would be permitted. The extent of the subsidy would continue to be Rs.6000. For other items the unit cost ceiling of Rs.6000 will continue.
It has also been decided to earmark two per cent of the annual allocation of funds under the scheme for monitoring and evaluation. Mandatory free one year maintenance for assistive devices will have to be ensured by the implementing agencies.
Braille writing equipment including Braillers, Braille Shorthand Machines, typewriters for blind students would be allowed after the IX Standard instead of XII Standard earlier. At least 25 per cent of beneficiaries should be girl children/women.
Approximately 2.54 lakh disabled persons were benefited in the year 2003-04. After the modifications in the Scheme, it is expected that 3.40 lakh disabled persons would be benefited in 2006-07.
RK/DS/LV
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