The Delhi government has decided to provide a monthly financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to disabled persons with high special needs, Social Welfare Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Tuesday.

The specially abled person with over 60 per cent disability will be eligible for financial assistance, Bharadwaj said in a press conference.

The decision of enhanced financial assistance was taken in a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Monday, he added.

The minister said the Social Welfare department was directed for implementation of the scheme and registration under it was expected to begin within one month.

Bharadwaj said that he did not believe the proposal of the scheme need to sent to the lieutenant governor for his approval because it was public money which was to be spent on welfare of the specially abled persons with high needs.

As per the 2011 census, there were 2.34 lakh specially abled persons in Delhi out of which around 9,500-10,000 were those with high needs, he said.

Bharadwaj said the Delhi government will be the first in the country to provide a substantial assistance to persons with high special needs and added only Tamil Nadu offered Rs 1,000 per month to such persons.

The Delhi government already provides pensions to over 1.20 lakh individuals whose disability exceeds 42 percent. Now, persons with over 60 per cent disability, as verified by medical certificates and UDID (Unique Disability ID) cards, will be eligible for the Rs 5,000 monthly pension, he said.

"We have already instructed the department to roll this out immediately and I believe that after this, the elected government of Delhi will be the first in the country to offer such substantial financial support to our specially abled people with high needs,” he said.

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