Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Smt. Meira Kumar will inaugurate a two-day conference (14-15 September) of Welfare Secretaries of States/ UTs, here, tomorrow. The meeting has been called to review the implementation of different Disabilities related Schemes being implemented by the Government for the disabled with the special objective of creating a barrier free environment in public buildings and public transport.

The Conference will also focus on Education for children with special needs under Serva Shiksha Abhiyan and streamlining the procedure and issues relating to disability certificate. The disabled persons, often face difficulty in getting the certificate and are unable to get the concessions and benefits under the various schemes of the Government. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has recently unveiled a National Policy for Persons with disabilities and the Welfare Secretaries of all the States were requested to ensure the effective implementation of the policy.

Educational Schemes for the Other Backward Classes like Pre and Post Matric Scholarships will be reviewed . For the Scheduled Caste Development, the focus will be on educational schemes for the Scheduled Castes like - Pre and Post Matric scholarships, hostels for Scheduled Castes boys and Girls, schemes for composite Economic Development of the Scheduled Castes and implementation of protection and Civil Right Act 1955 and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Provision of Atrocities Act, 1989). Apart from this, issues concerned with the Prevention of drug abuse and alcoholism in the society and welfare of the elderly persons will be the subject of discussion.