PANAJI
The Goa government will soon undertake a statewide door-to-door survey to identify persons with disabilities (PwDs), assess their access to government entitlements and create a comprehensive database of beneficiaries.
Officials said that the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), in coordination with the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, has already completed a pilot survey in Sanguem and Bicholim talukas.
The pilot exercise identified PwDs at the grassroots level and gathered field-level information on their access to disability certification, Unique Disability ID (UDID) cards, welfare schemes, social security benefits, assistive devices and rehabilitation services.
The Department will now extend the survey to other parts of Goa, with the exercise focusing on coverage at the village and local-body level.
Varsha Naik, Director, DEPwD, said the statewide survey will help reach persons with disabilities who may not yet be connected with government services.
“The statewide door-to-door survey is an important step towards reaching PwDs at their homes and communities, particularly those who may not yet be connected with government services. Through this exercise, we seek to identify gaps, facilitate access to disability certification, UDID cards, welfare schemes, assistive devices and rehabilitation services, and ensure that eligible persons are connected with the entitlements available to them,” she said.
She added that the success of the exercise would depend on the cooperation of families, communities, educational institutions and local self-government bodies.
In South Goa, students of Kare College of Law have been entrusted with surveying the entire district, except Sanguem, which was covered during the pilot phase.
In North Goa, students of Salgaonkar College of Law will conduct the survey across 18 village panchayats and two municipal councils. The remaining areas will be covered through institutions and student groups associated with BEd, NCC and NSS under the Directorate of Higher Education. In Canacona, students of Mallikarjun College will undertake the survey.
The Department said the exercise was intended to go beyond data collection by identifying gaps in access to services and connecting eligible persons with available government schemes and entitlements.
