National Resource Kit: The Punjab Chapter (Call for Comments)

Executive Summary

Punjab has not enacted any specific law or state policy for persons with disabilities in the state. The Social Security and Women and Child Development Department, which is primarily responsible for the welfare of persons with disabilities within the state, has implemented several schemes for the benefit of persons with disabilities. There are eight schemes in education, seven schemes in employment and four schemes in social protection.

State Profile

• Capital: Chandigarh
• Population: 27,704,236
• Population of Persons with Disabilities: 4,24,523 (2001 Census)
• Literacy: 76.68%
• HDI: 0.679 Rank: 9^th (2005)[1]
• Department: Social Security and Women and Child Development Department

Legal Provisions
The government of Punjab has not enacted any law for persons with disabilities nor has any state policy been introduced or implemented for persons with disabilities. However, the department that is primarily responsible for the welfare of persons with disabilities in Punjab has been implementing several schemes for the persons with disabilities. These schemes have been listed below as:

Education
Students with visual impairment are allowed The government provides three per cent reservation for persons with disabilities in different courses in all the universities in Punjab.

Students with visual impairment are allowed the use of a scribe while appearing for their examinations. The government provides students with visual impairment a sum of Rs. 50 per month as allowance for their helper.

The government provides a scholarship of Rs. 200 per month for students with disabilities up to class VIII and Rs. 300 per month scholarship for disabled students from class IX onwards. In addition to the above scholarship, girls with disabilities and disabled rural learners up to class X are provided an attendance scholarship of Rs. 1500 every year along with a scholarship of Rs. 1000 per year towards uniform and stationery. The government has a provision to award a scholarship of Rs. 1500 per year towards clothes and Rs. 1500 per year towards stationery for girls with disabilities studying in class XI and above.

The Punjab School Education Board has exempted students with visual impairment and students with hearing impaired from appearing for the middle standard Examinations.

Students with disabilities are exempted from appearing for practical examinations. They are graded based on their performance in the written examination.

The government of Punjab provides free books to students with visual impairment upto the age of 18 years.

Students with visual impairment are permitted to select two optional subjects in place of science and mathematics. These include additional languages, music and musical instruments.

Employment
The government of Punjab provides three per cent reservation for direct recruitment of persons with disabilities in all the state departments, boards and corporations. The government further provides three per cent reservation in the promotion of employees with disabilities in groups A, B, C and D. The three per cent reservation is split up as one per cent for visually impaired, one per cent for hearing impaired and one per cent for physically disabled.

The state government has opened an employment office for providing employment opportunities to persons with disabilities at SCO no. 118-119, Sector 22, Chandigarh.

The government of Punjab provides three per cent reservation for direct recruitment of persons with disabilities in all the state departments, boards and corporations. The government further provides three per cent reservation in the promotion of employees with disabilities in groups A, B, C and D. The three per cent reservation is split up as one per cent for visually impaired, one per cent for hearing impaired and one per cent for physically disabled.

The state government has opened an employment office for providing employment opportunities to persons with disabilities at SCO no. 118-119, Sector 22, Chandigarh.

Punjab provides persons with disabilities an age relaxation of ten years in fixed age limit during the recruitment process. The government has also extended the service period for persons with disabilities by extending their retirement age to 60 years from the regular 58 years.

Persons with disabilities who are unable to type are exempted by the government from taking the typing examination during the tests for recruitment of clerks.

Persons with disabilities who are employees of the state government are provided a conveyance allowance of Rs. 450 per month in addition to their salaries.

The National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation, Faridabad provides loans at low interest rates for persons with disabilities to start their own business ventures. The state government has declared the Scheduled Caste and Finance Corporation the state channelizing agency.

The department runs the Government Workshop for the Physically Disabled at Ludhiana to impart training to persons with disabilities in occupations such as weaving, hosiery, caning, candle making etc. Trainees enrolled for the courses are eligible to receive a scholarship of Rs. 300 per month.

Health & Rehabilitation
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Government of India) has established the Regional Spine Injuries Centre at Sector 70 SAS Nagar, Mohali. Spinal operations for the patients from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir are done at this centre.

Social Protection
The government provides a disability pension of Rs. 250 per month to persons with disabilities.

Persons with disabilities who are unemployed and have registered themselves with the employment exchange are provided with unemployment allowance based on their disability and educational qualification.

The state government has made provisions to award employees with disabilities for outstanding achievement at the workplace. The state government also recognises outstanding employers, institutions for the disabled, social workers and other players for their contribution through cash awards.

Persons with disabilities who are visually impaired or physically disabled are eligible for free transport on state transport buses – Punjab Roadways and PRTC.