New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) A parliamentary panel has frowned at the ministry of social justice and empowerment for the lackadaisical manner in which a scheme meant to provide counselling to disabled people at the district level is being implemented and for not adequately disseminating information on another scheme to provide artificial limbs to the disabled.The Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, in its 37th report tabled in the Lok Sabha Tuesday, pointed to the shortage of manpower and resources at the District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRCs) that are the main agency for implementing the Scheme of Assistance to disabled persons for purchase/fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP).

“The committee had noted that DDRCs set up to provide counselling, generate awareness about the programmes and for help in the issue of disability certificates were facing problems in terms of availability of manpower,” the committee, headed by Sumitra Mahajan of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said.

The committee demanded that necessary steps be taken to address the shortage of manpower and that DDRCs should be opened in all the districts.

“The committee urges upon the Government to provide adequate manpower to DDRcs and also open DDRCs in all districts during the current Plan Period (2007-2012), so that the problems of disabled persons could be efficiently tackled,” the report said.

The committee said that adequate steps have not been taken by the ministry to give publicity through the media about the ADIP scheme.

“The committee reiterate that the government ought to impress upon all agencies entrusted with implementation of the ADIP scheme to make sincere efforts to organize more field camps periodically for generating awareness about the scheme,” the committee said in its report.

It also demanded the setting up of a monitoring committee for the scheme.

“A monitoring committee for the may be set up in the ministry to ensure regular and effective implementation of the scheme in a focused and concerted manner,” the report said.

Analysing the action taken by the government on the recommendations contained in its 27th report, the committee noted that only six of the 16 made had been implemented.