The Karnataka government’s decision to drastically cut the funds for schemes benefiting differently-abled persons has drawn sharp criticism from activists and organizations. The 80% reduction in funding for 2024-25, down from Rs 53 crore last year to just Rs 10 crore, has left many individuals waiting for essential aids such as hearing aids, braille kits, and two-wheelers, unable to access them.
Among the 14 schemes provided by the Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, programs that offer basic aids—like hearing aids, crutches, sewing machines, and “talking laptops” for visually impaired students—are now in jeopardy. A total of 22,790 individuals have applied for these aids, but the severely reduced budget will only allow a fraction of applicants to benefit.
The National Federation of the Blind has called the funding cut “unjustifiable and unprecedented,” pointing out that this affects people with disabilities who rely on these schemes for basic assistance. The hearing aid and crutch program, for example, has received 5,173 applications, but there is not enough funding to meet even a small portion of the demand. Similarly, the laptop scheme, which costs Rs 96,000 for each device, will only be able to provide for 35 out of the 553 students who applied.
Activists argue that these programs are not “freebie schemes,” but rather a necessary commitment to help one of society’s most vulnerable groups. Gautam Agarwal, General Secretary of the National Federation of the Blind, emphasized that such funding cuts have never occurred before, highlighting the long-standing neglect of the needs of the differently-abled community.
The funding cuts have also delayed another important scheme providing battery-operated wheelchairs to physically disabled individuals. Government sources have acknowledged the difficulty of selecting only a few beneficiaries from thousands of eligible applicants, especially when the funds are insufficient.
The Minister for Women and Child Development, Laxmi Hebbalkar, has not yet responded to the issue, but Shamla Iqbal, Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department, confirmed that they have raised the matter with the Finance Department. In response, Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department L K Atheeq assured that the situation would be reviewed.
Activists suggest the government should consider a policy-driven scheme, similar to the SCSP and TSP, to ensure equitable delivery of benefits to the differently-abled. Agarwal pointed out that the number of differently-abled individuals has risen, with 21 recognized disabilities now compared to the seven categories in the 2011 census.
Read Also