Mangaluru: The Karnataka State Union for Differently-abled Organisations has demanded disbursal of grants in a uniform manner to schools looking after differently-abled children.

Speaking at a programme organised on the occasion of International Day of Disabled Persons here on Monday, the union’s general secretary, Vasanth Kumar Shetty, said that at present 38 schools were receiving grants as per the scheme framed in 1982, by which teachers in these schools are considered on a par with teachers in primary schools. Meanwhile, there are 158 special schools receiving grants as per the child care scheme, wherein special teachers receive a honorarium of ₹13,500 a month. It also includes funds towards treatment, food and maintenance of hostel of the differently-abled.

Mr. Shetty, who is the administrator of Saanidhya Residential School for the Differently-abled, said these two different schemes for grants to special schools make it difficult for organisations to run them. “For long, we have been demanding uniform scheme for grants. We reiterating the demand today.”

While saying there is a need for a separate department for welfare of the differently-abled and senior citizens, Mr. Shetty said the government should have a permanent rehabilitation centre in each district for those suffering from profound mental disabilities. The government should remove the age criterion and allow special schools to take care of all differently-abled persons.

In response, Dakshina Kannada in-charge Minister U.T. Khader said he would take up the issue of formation of a separate department with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. D. Vedavyas Kamath, MLA for Mangaluru City South, said he would work to get more grants, including funds from the Centre, for special schools in the district.

Earlier, the Department of Women and Child Welfare felicitated 26 differently-abled children who have made their mark in Yakshagana, music, arts, and sports. Special schools which had organised sports and other events for differently-abled children were also honoured.

A year after singing a memorandum of understanding, District Health and Family Welfare Officer M. Ramakrishna Rao on November 29 issued orders to Saanidhya to run the day care-cum-vocational training centre for endosulfan victims at Ujire in Belthangady taluk. This will be the third day care centre for endosulfan victims in the district.

The Ujire centre was being set up using funds collected by a private news channel. The MoU was signed on September 13, 2017 among the District Health and Family Welfare Department, Saanidhya, and the TV channel.

Arun Kumar S.B., the district nodal officer on relief for endosulfan victims, said the new day care centre would cater to 40 victims in Ujire and surrounding areas. Apart from vocational training, they will receive the services of special teachers, physiotherapists, and speech therapists. The centre has been set up with ₹50 lakh collected by the news channel. Additional equipment were created by the government.

Dr. Kumar said Saanidhya has been asked to recruit personnel to run the centre with a grant of around ₹40 lakh a year. Operations are likely to start in a month, Mr. Kumar said.