The committee, headed by K.K. Shailaja, MLA, in its 15th report on the Social Justice department’s utilisation of Budget allocation says the department has managed to implement its activities only till the district level. The schemes should be extended to all local bodies for easy implementation and for people at the grassroots to benefit from them, the committee has said.
Criticising the delay in approving sanctioned funds, the committee has called for steps to approve the funds sanctioned to the department the same financial year itself.
Schemes should be framed and implemented in such a manner that funds sanctioned in the Budget reach the beneficiaries.
Disabled-friendly spaces
Urgent steps should be taken to make all public spaces disabled-friendly as part of Barrier-free Kerala and Accessible India campaigns. Section 40 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, lays down that all public spaces should be made disabled-friendly within five years, the committee points out.
Along with rehabilitation villages for children with disabilities under the National Trust Act, skill centres should also be started to ensure their employment, it says.
It also recommends setting up of more physiotherapy centres for free in association with local self-government institutions.
Prathyasha Bhavans should be started in all districts for rehabilitation of intellectually challenged who have no one to take care of them.
Special educators
The committee calls for appointment of one special educator in each school on permanent posts to help differently abled students.
Steps should be taken to appoint clinical psychologists and rehabilitation psychologists in all district and general hospitals.
The committee recommends a relook at the punishment for those found guilty of violence against parents or abandoning them. Steps should be taken to urgently dispose of complaints received by maintenance tribunals. The Second Innings Home scheme to turn government old age homes into multiservice community centres should be relaunched and expanded to all government old-age homes. All Pakal Veedu (day-care centres) in local bodies should be changed into model Sayamprabha homes.
The committee moots steps to bring in clarity in an existing order and for framing of legislation to allow transgender persons to register their marriage taking into account their identity.
Shelter homes should be set up in all districts to accommodate transgender persons. Transgender persons should be included in LIFE Mission to provide them housing. There should be wards exclusively for transgender persons in government hospitals. The Social Justice department should take steps to implement projects for the welfare of transgender persons directly instead of entrusting these to various agencies, the commission says.
