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Hyderabad: ERS loans still out of reach for disabled
ERS loans still out of reach for disabled
Despite the government claims (during budget sessions) that it has allocated sufficient funds for the welfare of disabled persons, the pending applications for loans under Economic Rehabilitation Scheme (ERS) and a relatively fewer number of units to be approved is showing a different picture.
Financial Year Comes To End, But The Specially Challenged Still Await Loans Under Ers
Rajendranagar: Despite the government claims (during budget sessions) that it has allocated sufficient funds for the welfare of disabled persons, the pending applications for loans under Economic Rehabilitation Scheme (ERS) and a relatively fewer number of units to be approved is showing a different picture.
The government allocated Rs 5.5crore under ERS in the financial year 2020-21 which was not at all utilised. Thousands of applications are still pending despite the end of financial year. According to sources, the number of applications received throughout Telangana under ERS is somewhere around 25,000 to 30,000, while the sanction budget hovers around Rs 5.5 crore with only 767 units to be approved under the scheme during the year 2020-21. The loan amount fixed for approval varies from Rs 50,000 to Rs 3 lakh. This means out of 30,000 applicants only 767 were processed.
"The process of officials going into the huddle has begun recently but the scrutiny of applications is yet to be done. However, 90 per cent of the district welfare officials have submitted their bills as against the budget allotted for the scheme after taking the approval from the respective Collectors. However, it is the government which has to decide about clearing the bills. Even the Director Disabled Welfare made a representation to the government in this regard," informed sources.
If the bills get cleared soon, the scheme will surely set in motion by next month. Mandal and district level committees were busy all these days due to council elections and now they are getting back to their work. However, the whole thing depends on the passing of bills.
"Yet another financial year is gone without making approval of the applications under the Economic Rehabilitation Scheme. At least 10 to 12 thousand disabled persons from all the 591 mandals have submitted online applications and are eagerly waiting to get approved by the government. Now, when the MLC elections have finally concluded, the government should initiate the process of approving the applications which are pending since 2018," said Gorenkala Narsimha, President, National Platform for the Rights of Disabled (NPRD).
