Parl panel raps Disability Affairs Dept for underspending seeks urgent reforms in key schemes

New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) The Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment has criticised the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) for "persistent underutilisation of funds" in key welfare schemes, warning that without urgent, targeted reforms, objectives for the current financial cycle could be missed.
    In its ninth report on action taken by the government over demands for grants for 2024-25, tabled in Parliament on Monday, the committee noted a "consistent trend of underspending" from 2021-22 to 2023-24 in schemes such as the Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP), the Scheme for Implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), the Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) and disability scholarships.
    It said that despite procedural tweaks, responses from the ministry remained "fragmented" and failed to address deeper structural issues, particularly in SIPDA, where "spending lagged far behind allocations year after year."
    For SIPDA, the panel flagged delays in proposals from states and implementing agencies, pendency of utilisation certificates, transitional bottlenecks under the Treasury Single Account system, and a lack of adequate proposals from certain regions, especially the northeast.
    It called for a "time-bound, scheme-wise corrective action plan" backed by real-time monitoring, region-specific diagnostics, and stronger accountability mechanisms.
    The committee also reiterated concerns over the slow pace of the Accessible India Campaign (AIC) despite the empanelment of accessibility auditors and partnerships with private players.
    "Reliance on crowd-sourcing apps and volunteer-led initiatives cannot substitute for systematic, policy-driven execution and financial accountability," it said, urging a mission-mode approach with fixed timelines and performance-based incentives for states.
    On the ADIP scheme, which had exceeded physical targets in earlier years, the committee acknowledged that the target of 3.15 lakh beneficiaries for 2024-25 was missed due to rising demand for costlier devices such as motorised tricycles and high-end prostheses, pushing up the per-beneficiary cost.
    It recommended more flexible, cost-sensitive target setting in the future.
    The report also welcomed initiatives under the National Action Plan for Skill Development of Persons with Disabilities (NAP-SDP),” including collaborations with IIT Kharagpur, the Council of Architecture, and companies like Amazon and Zomato, but pressed for expanding regional training hubs and using the PM-DAKSH-DEPwD portal to offer customised training and job options.
    While the committee appreciated measures to modernise ALIMCO, expand Pradhan Mantri Divyasha Kendras, and integrate accessibility into educational curricula, it stressed that these must be matched with efficient fund flows, timely project approvals, and tangible on-ground results.
    It directed the ministry to submit final action-taken notes on pending recommendations within three months.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)