nsdc

 

 

Mr.Lov Verma I.A.S.

Sec. Dept of Disability Affairs, MoSJE, GOI

 

10.05.15

 

Dear Mr.Verma

Greetings from FACEMI- the national families alliance on mental illness (www.facemindia.org.in

 

Are persons with Mental illness (PMI) , citizens of India or no?  If yes, may I know the reason they have been excluded from the Central Sector Scheme of Financial Assistance for Skills Training of Persons with Disabilities vide office memorandum of the Ministry dt. 22.05.15?  Other People With Disabilities including Mental Retardation  have been included ; further,  the Trade for skills training, incentives etc.   have been mentioned for each disability separately in tabulated form. The Office memorandum has also invited applications from Skills training NGOs etc. 

 

Sir, it is indeed ironical to note that the said Memorandum  refers   to discrimination to disabled persons vide UN CRPD and  yet your Ministry itself is discriminating against PMI. we are sadly disappointed to see that they are left out of this empowering program. This discrimination is even more puzzling in view of the fact that your Ministry has been given the responsibility of setting up the National Rehab Institute for Mental Health in Bhopal

 

Unless your Ministry practices Inclusivity of People with Mental Illness, this category of most marginalized persons shall be left out of  all other programs as well. Through this mail, I take the liberty of voicing the anguish of the PMI across the country who are desperately in need of skills empowerment before exposure to employment opportunities. 

 

Sir, may I remind you that but for your intervention, PMI would have been left out of the facilities to be provided by UPSC for written exams. Thank you for your support and we look forward to similar success in this request as well. 

 

Your official reply  can be addressed to [email protected]

 

Your’s Sincerely

ns(Nirmala Srinivasan) 

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