RESPONDING to the call given by the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) members owing allegiance to various affiliates of the NPRD held demonstrations in various parts of the country on July 23 focusing on the demand for enhancement in the pension (maintenance allowance) paid to persons with disabilities. Currently under the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) a pittance of Rs 300 is doled out as disability pension per month to persons with severe or multiple disabilities in the age group of 18-59 years, belonging to BPL families. Under the scheme, states have been “urged” by the central government to contribute at least a matching amount from “their own resources”. However, there is no uniformity either in the matter of the amount given or the eligibility criteria followed by the states. A majority of the disabled, bulk of whom are poor, continue to be deprived of pension, despite having no means of livelihood. As against a disabled population of 2,68,10,557, as per the 2011 census, only 7,65,000 have been covered under the scheme, as revealed by the annual report of the ministry of social justice & empowerment (2011-12). The criteria adopted for grant of pension varies from state to state. In some states, apart from the central scheme, state governments have their own schemes also. It also needs to be underlined that as a consequence of the reduced spending by the government on social security schemes, many states are revising the eligibility criteria thereby reducing the already modest number of beneficiaries. Deprived of any means of livelihood and subsistence allowance, many disabled are resorting to begging and such occupations. The inability of the government to provide any form of employment to persons with disabilities has rendered a vast majority of them, living in appalling conditions, totally dependable on such schemes. The NPRD at its first conference held at Kochi from November 6 to 8, 2013 had demanded “the adoption of a uniform criteria throughout the country”. It wanted all persons with a disability of 40 per cent and above should be entitled to get pension, whether they come under the BPL criteria or not. The resolution also demanded that “Pensions should be sent to the disabled person by the 1st of every month through MO in the case of persons with 80 per cent or more disability and it should be deposited in the bank accounts of others with lesser percentage of disability”. The current agitation is a follow up to this resolution adopted at the conference and the decision taken at the NPRD executive committee meeting at Kolkata in June 2014 to intensify the campaign around the slogan of “Jobs or Maintenance Allowance”. The July 23 programme was centred around the demand for enhancement of the maintenance allowance (pension) to a minimum of Rs 3000 per month for all disabled and a higher maintenance allowance for persons with higher degrees of disability and also for the adoption of a uniform criteria throughout the country. Another demand that was highlighted during the July 23 programme was to speed up the process of issuing a universally valid identity card to all disabled persons. Currently, disabled persons have to procure certificates certifying their disability from a designated authority in their respective states. Apart from the procurement of such certificates being cumbersome and time consuming, such a certificate or card is not valid across the border of the state in which it is issued and across departments. Separate certificates are required if a disabled desires to seek concessions for travel by rail. Banks and other lending agencies as also the UPSC insist on specific formats. Disabled persons encounter hardships as they are shunted from one department to the other. The NPRD at its Kochi conference through a resolution had demanded that the central government puts mechanisms in place “wherein, upon submission of such a disability certificate produced from an authority within a state, a designated agency of the central government will issue a national disability card. Such a card should be valid across the country in all departments and for all purposes…..” A few days ago reports appeared in the media suggesting that the government is contemplating issuing universally valid identity cards for persons with disabilities. The issuance of such cards will tide over the issue of disabled persons having to procure multiple certificates/cards for different purposes. The NPRD while welcoming this move, has sought to bring attention to the fact that currently, around 65 per cent of disabled persons do not possess even the existing certificates. This keeps them out of any social security net. It is therefore imperative that while the government speeds up the process of providing the universally valid disability card, special camps be set up throughout the country to ensure that all persons with disabilities are able to procure such a card. As per reports received at the NPRD centre by the evening of July 23 the response to the call has been encouraging. According to reports received demonstrations were held in Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamilnadu, West Bengal, etc. Thousands of disabled persons participated in the demonstrations held in 23 centres across Tamil Nadu, 12 centres across Karnataka, two centres in Odisha and a centre each in West Bengal, Haryana. Reports from other states are awaited. The programme will be observed in Kerala and Tripura subsequently. Memorandums addressed to the ministry of social justice & welfare were submitted to the concerned authorities in the centres where the programme was held.