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Sunday 8 June 2014

ATDUM demands hike in marriage incentive award - MANIPUR

Differently abled persons in Manipur have demanded the State Government to raise the marriage incentive from Rs 5000 to Rs 30,000 .


In its memorandum submitted to Social Welfare Minister A.K Mirabai, All Tribal Disabled Union, Manipur (ATDUM) said that the marriage incentive award for the disabled persons should be raised to Rs 30,000 .


According to ATDUM, the Social Welfare Department has initiated the "Marriage Incentive Award 2013-2014" for the physically challenged persons.


Accordingly, handicapped persons who have already got married applied for the said award.


But in order to fulfil certain mandatory requirements such as duly sworn affidavit by either of the spouses; Marriage Certificate; and bank account number etc., and for procuring/arranging the same, a candidate has to spend more than Rs.3000, pointed out ATDUM in its memorandum.


Apart from this, it is learnt that each awardee is entitled the incentive to the tune of only Rs.5000."If this is the situation then the Social Welfare Department, Government of Manipur is in fact doing more harm than to help to those poor and helpless handicapped persons who entered marital lives and the scheme put forth by the department is meaningless," ATDUM rued.


ATDUM then recalled the reported declaration made by the the Minister of Social Welfare on World Disabled Day Celebration held on December 3, 2013, wherein announcement was made for payment of Rs.30,000 to those married handicapped persons as 'Marriage Incentive Award, 2013-2014'."However, in spite of such assurance and announcement made by your goodself (minister), the concerned authorities of your good department are not implementing it," ATDUM added.


ATDUM memorandum then alleged that the total number of around 175 applicants have been shortlisted for the incentive from the valley districts against a negligible number of around 22 applicants from the hill districts reflects biasness in the selection process.


The number of applicants short listed in district wise are that two each from Chandel, Tamenglong and Ukhrul, four from Sadar Hills, around nine from Churachandpur, around three from Senapati, around 60 from Imphal East, around 30 from Imphal West, 10 from Bishnupur and 75 from Thoubal districts.


It also alleged that shortlisted candidates of the said scheme include a number of government employees thereby depriving the deserving candidates from availing the benefit.


It then lamented that a meagre amount of Rs.5000 per beneficiary under the Marriage Incentive Award is not worth a scheme at all.


ATDUM then alleged that at the time of selecting beneficiaries of the said scheme, the authorities concerned were doing 'pick and choose policy' from each district which is very much contrary to the interest of all the disabled persons living in the State of Manipur.


"We sincerely feel that there should be uniformity in selecting beneficiaries from each district proportionate to the number of married disabled persons living in the districts," it stated.



Source : E- Pao , 7th June 2014

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