SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday inaugurated a mass distribution drive of aids and appliances for Divyangjan in Jammu, and disbursed pension arrears of Rs 6.14 crore to 12,660 beneficiaries under the Integrated Social Security Scheme (ISSS).
The initiative, organised by the Directorate of Social Welfare, Jammu, covers 5,918 beneficiaries, including 2,939 persons with disabilities under the Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP) scheme, and 2,756 senior citizens under the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY). A total of 19,960 aids and appliances are to be distributed across ten districts of Jammu Division, following 112 assessment camps in collaboration with ALIMCO.
The pension arrears, pending due to Aadhaar non-seeding, aim to provide financial inclusion to the elderly, widows, and differently-abled persons. The LG also announced a forthcoming app by the Social Welfare Department to streamline pension benefits for senior citizens.
On the same day, the LG inaugurated a 50-bedded Half-Way Home at Lower Chowadi, Jammu, for psycho-social rehabilitation of persons with mental illness. Built at a cost of Rs 4.39 crore under the Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS), the facility is intended to help patients transition from hospital care to community life.
Additionally, he dedicated the Parisha Child Care Institution for Girls at Mandi Gurglian in Samba, constructed at a cost of Rs 3.03 crore.
The LG reiterated the administration’s commitment to ensuring equal rights, access, and dignity for persons with disabilities, and directed officials to remove systemic, digital, and physical barriers. He urged the Social Welfare Department to submit a proposal for establishing a dedicated park for Divyangjan and assured full support for self-employment initiatives.
The event was attended by MLAs, senior officers, NGOs, and civil society members.
