As many as 86 out of 146 gram panchayats in Udupi district do not have a Village Rehabilitation Worker (VRW) to identify and provide various government facilities to differently abled persons.
Only 23 gram panchayats each in Udupi and Kundapur taluks along with 14 gram panchayats in Karkala taluk have VRWs. These three taluks have a Multipurpose Rehabilitation Worker (MRW).
There are 16,927 differently abled persons in the district as per the 2011 census. According to the Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled Persons, 12,704 differently abled persons living below the poverty line (BPL) get monthly pensions. A VRW plays a vital role in identifying differently abled persons in the villages coming under the gram panchayat. He makes arrangements to get identity cards, monthly pension as well as aids and appliances for them.
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A disabled person in the 18-45 age group, who studied up to class 10 and is staying within that gram panchayat, is appointed as VRW. “The idea is to provide employment to a differently abled person who will help another such person,” said M. Niranjan Bhat, District Officer for Empowerment of Differently Abled Persons. At the taluk-level, a differently abled person in 18-45 age group, who belongs to that taluk and is a graduate is appointed as MRW. An MRW coordinates with the department and all VRWs to implement various government programmes for the differently abled in the taluk. He gets an honorarium of Rs. 4,000 a month.
Low honorarium and lack of facilities are the reasons why over half of the gram panchayats don’t have VRWs. VRMs get paid an honorarium of Rs.1,500 a month.
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Bharati, a VRW in Cherkady Gram Panchayat, said that she spends Rs.16 on travel everyday. “Very often I take the differently abled to the District Government Hospital in Udupi to get them certificates of disability. Our wages should be increased to at least Rs. 4,000 per month,” she said.
Manjunath Hebbar, MRW of Kundapur taluk, said that he operated from the MLC’s office as the taluk panchayat had no space.
“It will be better if MRWs are provided with a separate room and cupboard at the taluk panchayat office.
There is not even a cupboard to keep the records and documents. I share it with another government department,” he said.
Mr. Bhat said the work of giving monthly pensions to the differently abled was being done by the Panchayat Development Officers (Officers) in gram panchayats not having VRWs. “Of course, having own VRWs will improve efficiency,” he said.