– Ronita Torcato 

The welfare department has revised the checklist for grant-in-aid to verify whether the relevant amount is due as per the rules before paying the salaries and non-salary arrears of teachers and non-teaching staff in special schools, workshops and children’s homes for the disabled in Maharashtra.

According to Tukaram Mundhe, secretary, Divyang Welfare Department, it was often found that there was a lack of necessary documents, incomplete data and clearly stated reasons for the arrears. Also, there was a lack of uniform methodology while submitting the proposals to institutions. Against this backdrop, it was decided to prepare a revised and uniform checklist.

He said that the chief executive officer of the Zilla Parishad has to check the grant proposals and submit them to the commissioner, Divyang Welfare, Pune for verification and then submit the proposals to the Government along with the checklist and self-explanatory comments.

As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, there are 932 non-government aided schools, workshops and children’s homes for the mentally challenged, blind, physically challenged and mute categories working for the welfare of the disabled in the state.

Mundhe said that the institutions are being provided with salary as well as non-salary subsidies for maintenance, rent and office expenses. A government decision in this regard has been issued by the Department of Welfare of the Disabled and is available on the official Maharashtra government website.

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