Schemes to help children picked up for begging
Monday, 13 December 2010 06:12
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The Hindu 13.12.2010
Schemes to help children picked up for begging
Staff Reporter
KOCHI: The Kochi City Police have started many schemes to rehabilitate the children picked up for begging and labour, as part of the State wide drive taken up by the State police against the crime.
During the recent drive, the City Police could spot 17 children in these conditions and they were moved to rehabilitation centres.
The City Police have launched an awareness campaign to garner public support for the drive. Orphanages and other similar lodging points for children are being closely monitored for any abuse of children's rights. Surprise checks are also being done at many places.
Similarly, the City Police have stepped up surveillance at entry points to the city, traffic signals, footpaths, tourist spots, places of worship and pilgrim centres as well as parks in the city to spot instances of children being used for begging.
Discussions would be initiated with Corporation authorities, Social Welfare Department and other official bodies concerned to ensure that rehabilitated children are given proper care and education, said Manoj Abraham, City Police Commissioner.
Most often, these children are not provided any vocational training and in the absence of proper follow-up to the rehabilitation process it is not uncommon to see that these children return to the streets.
The City Police have also been complaining for long about absence of proper rehabilitation facilities for those picked up from the streets.
The City Police have also sought support from the public to fight the social menace of begging. The public can contact the police by calling the Control Room (phone number 100) or the office of the City Special Branch (2385002), said Mr. Abraham.
Last Updated on Monday, 13 December 2010 06:14
Disabilities Commissioner castigates BBMP for poor track record
Saturday, 11 December 2010 07:26
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The Hindu 11.12.2010
Disabilities Commissioner castigates BBMP for poor track record
Staff Reporter
| Implementation of welfare programmes poor: K.V. Rajanna |
LAME EXCUSE:Three per cent of the revenue from local bodies is allocated for disability welfare programmes, but the BBMP has not put it to proper use.
BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has not been able to implement any rehabilitation or inclusivity programmes for the disabled, for which it allocates budgets every year. Out of Rs 4.4 crore allocated in 2009-2010, only Rs. 92 lakh was used. The 2010-2011 budgetary allocation, worth Rs. 10 crore, is as yet untouched.
In the absence of any programme or structured plans to work towards inclusivity and to help those with disabilities, these funds are being “diverted” every year, alleged K.V. Rajanna, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, at a press conference here on Friday.
Neglect alleged
However, after holding talks with the BBMP Welfare Department, Mr. Rajanna said the palike has agreed to start a survey to count the number of disabled persons in the city within the next three months. Further, the Commissioner and BBMP officials will meet in the coming days to sit down and chalk out “concrete plans” to see how the funds can be effectively utilised. “The track record of the BBMP in this matter has been bad. They have neglected the disability community all these years and deprived them of programmes for which money has come in,” he said.
Three per cent of the revenue from local bodies is allocated for disability welfare programmes, he pointed out.
Official hard-pressed
In Bangalore, where an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 persons live with disabilities, there is only one District Disability Welfare Officer. Even this official has no support staff. “In fact, the officer does not even have a car to travel around, and is burdened with several other responsibilities,” he said.
Mr. Rajanna proposed that the BBMP appoint one disability welfare officer for every one of its eight zones. At least two support staff must be allotted to each zone, and other infrastructure must be provided, he added.
Last Updated on Saturday, 11 December 2010 07:27
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BBMP to take census of people with disabilities
Saturday, 11 December 2010 06:08
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The Deccan Herald 11.12.2010
BBMP to take census of people with disabilities
Bangalore, December 10, DHNS:
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will take a headcount of disabled persons in Corporation limits shortly.
A decision in this regard was taken after Karnataka Commissioner for Disability, K V Rajanna, rapped Palike officials for not spending even a penny from the Rs 10 crore allocated for the welfare of the disabled people.
Rajanna held a meeting with the BBMP officials to discuss measures taken for the welfare of the differently abled people. However, the Palike officials failed to provide proper records saying they have to depend on the general census for details.
Disappointed, Rajanna directed them to take a census of disabled persons and extend them benefits. He also warned the officials that a notice would be served on them if they failed to utilise the fund, or divert it.
Responding to this, Additional Commissioner V Ashok said a meeting of zonal commissioners will be convened and plans to conduct a census of the disabled people would be completed by the end of the financial year.
Later addressing mediapersons, Rajanna said the Palike had utilised Rs 92 lakh of the Rs 4.4 crore allocated in the previous year. However, for the current year, it has failed to spend even a paisa of the allotted Rs 10 crore, he said.
There are many schemes to empower the disabled in the field of education, training and employment, he said. More than 60 NGOs work for the welfare of disabled persons in the City, he added.
Last Updated on Saturday, 11 December 2010 06:10
Rehabilitation project to leave only 140 people in ward
Thursday, 02 December 2010 07:01
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The Pioneer 02.12.2010 Rehabilitation project to leave only 140 people in ward
Ankur Sirothia | Bhopal
How about having a Corporator for a population of 140 people, it isn't a mere possibility, but the fact for a municipal ward in the State capital where the onset of the slum rehabilitation drive would leave only a handful of people in the ward which as of now has over 14,000 voters.
The situation has come up in ward 31, an area that houses only slum population. Contrary to the Government policy that claims to provide basic civic amenities to urban poor at their settlements, local authorities here have initiated a rehabilitation project that would leave only about 140 people in the ward.
Slum areas of the ward, including Arjun Nagar, Bhim Nagar and Vallabh Nagar will soon be removed due to security concerns, as they stand in close proximity of the State Secretariat, and Assembly complex.
Ironically, despite the willingness of the residents to vacate the hilltop and move to a nearby location, the authorities are bent on disbursing them to different locations on the outskirts of the city and have even started survey work for the relocation. Ward 31 Corporator CM Singh says he has made all out efforts to save the shelters of the slum dwellers that have been living in the area for several decades.
Questioning the mere existence of a Corporator who does not have any people to serve, Singh says he will continue with his struggles for the rehabilitation of the people in the vicinity, though at some distance from the administrative buildings.
However, this demand of the people has already been turned down by the district administration and the civic body on a number of occasions. Pleading anonymity, officials said they are under pressure to undertake the relocation drive.
Meanwhile local residents, in no mood to leave the place, are gearing up for an agitation against the bid.
Notably, around 14,000 voters of the ward reside in the three slum clusters, while the remaining 135 to 140 people are watchmen and peons deployed at the campus of these administrative buildings.
Last Updated on Thursday, 02 December 2010 07:02
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