Social Welfare & Tribal Affairs

Department profile

Directorate of Social Welfare & Tribal Affairs Kavaratti :-

   The Directorate of Social Welfare & Tribal Affairs Lakshadweep Administration Established in the year 1978. In addition, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment was trifurcated into three departments, i.e. Dept. of Women and Child, Dept. of Art and Culture, Dept of SWTA in 2007.  Parent Department was re-designated as Department of Social Welfare & Tribal Affairs.

            The Directorate of Social Welfare & Tribal Affairs Lakshadweep, was constituted with the prime intention of promoting Welfare of Senior citizens, Welfare and social economic empowerment of PwDs, Welfare of ST & Minorities, etc. and the Department implementing RPWD Act 2016, Senior Citizen Act 2007 and various Policies and programmes.

1. Objectives:-

• Promoting Social, Legal, and Economic Wellbeing of PwDs, Senior Citizens, ST, Minorities.
• Imparting training and celebrations of important events, i.e. old age day & Disabled Day.
• Social Security to Marginalized sections, i.e. widow, old age, destitute etc

1. Beneficiaries for the Schemes/ Policies :-
2. Senior Citizen
3. Person With Disabilities
4. Widows & Abandoned Ladies
5. ST & Minorities.

2. PwD related Schemes/Policies :-

1. Providing Marriage Allowance to PwDs @30,000/- per head.
2. Providing Special jobs to PwDs on 89 days rotation basis.
3. Providing monthly pension @ 1500 per month to Old age, Differently abled, Widow and Abandoned ladies.
4. Implementation of PwD Act 2016 and 1995/ National Policy for AID for PwDs.
5. Survey and identification
6. Disability Assessment & certification
7. Providing Therapeutic services i.e. Physio Therapy, occupational therapy etc.
8. Supplying artificial limbs/Wheelchair, tricycle etc.
9. Providing financial Assistance for Specialized treatment for PwDs with one escort at mainland.
10. Awareness generation of prevention of Disabilities.
11. Assessment of need of Assistive device, fitment of assistive device, follow up/repair of assistive device, Assisting the ADIP/ALIMCO Camps for distribution of aids and assistive devices.
12. Referral and arrangement of surgical correction.
13. Counselling of Person with Disabilities and their parents and family members.
14. Promotion of Barrier free environment/ Accessible India Campaign.
15. Providing skill development training awareness programmes for PwDs.
16. Running day care Centers for Children with Special needs.
17. Issue of UDID to PwDs.
18. Celebration of Disabled day.
19. Conducting SMART UTSAV for PwDs.
20. Imparting Training Workshop/ Remunerations
21. Providing Assistance to PwDs on Best Performance.
22. Grand In Aid to Voluntary Organization for PwDs.
23. The Department constituted the Deputy Collector/ Sub divisional Officers are designated as is the Legal Guardianship for PwDs of concerned islands in the UTL.
24. The Department constituted District Level Committee under section 72 of the RPWD Act 2016 to exercise all or any of the powers and duties empowered under the Act and first meeting conducted on 14.07.2023.
25. The Department has appointed the Director, SW&TA as the authority for registration of institutions working in disability sector in UT of Lakshadweep.
26. The Department constituted the Committee for Research on Disability in UT of Lakshadweep under the section 6(2) (ii) of the Right to Person with Disabilities Act 2016 and Rule -3 Lakshadweep Right of Person with Disabilities Rule 2017.

4. Policies for Senior Citizen :-

1. Providing monthly pension @ 1500 per month to Old age beneficiaries.
2. Implementing Rastriya Vayoshri Yojana.
3. Celebration of World Senior Citizen day & International Older Person day.
4. The Administration already appointed the Department of Social Welfare and Tribal Affairs is the ‘Nodal Department’ & Social Welfare Officer is the ‘Maintenance Officer’ for the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007. And he shall represent as a parent if he so desires, during the proceedings of the Tribunal, or Appellate Tribunal, as the case may be.
5. The Administration constituted an Appellate Tribunal in Lakshadweep and designated the District Collector, Lakshadweep as Presiding Officer of the Appellate Tribunal to hear the appeal against the order of the Tribunal.
6. The administration constituted Sub Divisional Level “Tribunals” for the purpose of adjudicating and deciding upon the order for maintenance under section 5 of above Act.

5. Minority and Tribal Affairs :-

• Financial Assistance to State Hajj Committee.