Provisions for a Visually Impaired Person under the Central Scheme-FAQs

1. What are the provisions for constructing a house for a visually impaired person?

Yes, Indira Awaas Yojana provides financial assistance to the rural poor living Below the Poverty Line (BPL) for construction of house.
 BPL rural households of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, non-Scheduled Castes & non-Scheduled Tribes, Ex-servicemen of the armed & paramilitary forces killed in action, physically & mentally challenged persons, freed bonded labourers & Minorities are eligible to get assistance under Indira AwaasYojana.

60% of the benefits of the Scheme are meant for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Besides 3% of the houses are reserved for physically & mentally challenged persons, among the rural BPL families. Funds are also allocated for coverage of minorities.

The information may be obtained from Ministry of Rural Development, State Government & DRDAs/Gram Panchayat. Information is also available in the website of Ministry of Rural Development at http://rural.nic.in/RHousing.htm

2. What are the provisions available for visually impaired person under the central government scheme?

 National Handicapped Finance And Development Corporation (NHFDC) scheme set up by the central government in 1997 provides loans to invest in agriculture, industrial units etc it also provides loans/Scholarship for the education of disabled persons. NHFDC also has state channelizing agencies across the country.
For further details contact:

National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation
(Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment)
Red Cross Bhawan, Sector 12, Faridabad 121 007
Phone: (0129) 2287512, 2287513, 2280214, 2280335, 2264841
Telefax: (0129) 2284371
Email: nhfdc@nda.vsnl.net.in
Website:
www.nhfdc.nic.in.

3. What are the concessions available in communication?

Exemption from Postal Fees-
(1)According to POST OFFICE GUIDE - Inland Post - 1July1985 Blind literature packets are exempted from payment of the following fee besides being exempted from the payment of postage.
(i) Registration fee.
(ii) Fee for acknowledgement
(iii) Fee for the attested copy of the receipt.
(2) Postage free blind literature packets will be transmitted by surface route only, any if they are to be sent by air, the airmail charge as prescribed for packets has to be paid. Follow Sections 136-137 of the aforementioned document.

4. Is there any central scheme that provides employment to a person with disability?
 
Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) person with disability can get employment. For more information, please visit NREGA's website at http://nrega.nic.in/netnrega/home.aspx.

5. What are the other schemes available apart from Housing, Employment, Financial Assistance and Concessions in Communication?

Other schemes are given below:

1. Ad-hoc Allotment of Central Pool Residential Accommodation

On request, disabled government employees can get ad-hoc allotment of general pool residential accommodation, after getting a recommendation from the Special Recommendation Committee and approval from the Urban Development Ministry.