By IANS
New Delhi : The government Thursday approved an ambitious plan to provide 100,000 jobs for the people with disabilities with a proposed outlay of Rs.18 billion ($450 million).
“Today (Thursday) the CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) took a very important and socially sensitive decision, which will generate 100,000 jobs per annum for persons with disability,” Union Information and Broadcasting minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said here.
He announced the decision was made by the CCEA at its meeting held Thursday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in chair.
“However, the scheme will be applicable only to people drawing a monthly salary of Rs.25,000 or less,” according to the minister.
Listing out the conditions for the implementation of the scheme, Dasmunsi said it would be applicable to persons “covered under the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1955 and the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999.”
“The government will provide directly employers’ contribution for the schemes covered under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948. This will be done for each of the concerned employee up to a maximum period of three years,” said Dasmunsi.
“The Rs.18 billion proposed amount for the scheme will come from the resources generated by the social justice and empowerment ministry,” he said.
“The CCEA also decided to set up a high level committee to monitor the implementation of the scheme and it will be co-chaired by the ministries of labour and employment and social justice and empowerment,” he added.