Graft blights safety scheme for disabled
Persons with disabilities have to pay between Tk 1,000 and Tk 3,000 extra to be included in the government's disability allowance scheme, said a new report of Transparency International Bangladesh.
They also need to pay between Tk 1,000 and Tk 3,000 extra to receive the government's "Suborno card" designated for them, the report said.
It added that Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,500 is illegally charged at government hospitals for identification of persons with disabilities and a further Tk 100 to Tk 200 is required for inclusion in the database.
TIB, the Bangladesh chapter of the global graft watchdog Transparency International, disclosed the findings of the report titled "Inclusiveness in Development and Disability: Governance Challenges and Way Forward" during a virtual press conference yesterday.
Research for the report was done between December, 2019 and November, 2020.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said due to a significant gap in ensuring inclusion and rights of and justice for persons with disabilities in all sectors -- including education, health, employment, transportation, and infrastructure -- Bangladesh's present development process is mostly not "meaningful" to them.
He said a lack of sensitivity among service providers designated to serve persons with disabilities is "very painful".
In many cases, persons with disabilities are deprived of justice and such disparity is more visible in cases involving children and women, Iftekharuzzaman said.
The TIB executive director said the state of irregularities and corruption against persons with disabilities at government hospitals is very alarming.
"Persons with disabilities fall victim to irregularities and corruption while availing different government services which they are entitled to, and are compelled to pay money beyond rules," he added.
He said no specific step at the government's policymaking level has been taken yet to determine the actual number of persons with disabilities.
"As a result, [the norm] to provide service to real beneficiaries is not being followed," said Iftekharuzzaman, adding persons with disabilities do not seek sympathy but want their rights to be established.
According to the TIB report, some 24 to 67 percent of funds allocated for disability allowance has been embezzled.
It said NGOs need to pay between Tk 20,000 and Tk 70,000 to get financial grants from the Jatiya Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation.
The TIB report said payment of disability allowance to persons with disabilities at field-level depends on the will of public representatives. There are allegations of political influence to get a disability allowance card.
The report mentioned that local lawmakers and a section of officials and employees at the Secretariat and district administrations lobbied the Social Services offices to get Suborno card for their relatives and acquaintances even though they did not qualify as beneficiaries.
The TIB report said in the 2019-2020 fiscal year, a further two lakh persons with disabilities were included in the disability allowance programme.
However, there are allegations that a part of their allowance has been embezzled. Some officers of Upazila Social Service Office, officials of the bank concerned and public representatives at union parishads were allegedly involved in the embezzlement, it said.
The report said various therapy machines and accessories for children and adults with disabilities, purchased by the Jatiya Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation, are of low quality despite adequate budgetary allocation.
Also, in some cases, there are allegations that public transport companies collect the full transport fare from persons with disabilities instead of the stipulated half fare.
Referring to data analysis of TIB's National Household Survey-2017 on corruption in the service sectors, the new report said persons with disabilities need to pay bribes of Tk 250 on average for education -- enrolment, stipends, receiving books, admission or readmission, and admission cards.
They pay Tk 236 on average as bribe for health sector services, including medical tests and use of wheelchairs, and a bribe of Tk 1,361 on average for services at local government institutions.
The report said 23.4 percent households faced bribery or illegal money transactions for inclusion in the disability allowance programme.
It said persons with disabilities were not listed in the government-assisted programme that gave people Tk 2,500 financial assistance each during the coronavirus pandemic and the social welfare ministry did not take any initiative in this regard.
The TIB report recommended that all offices providing services to persons with disabilities would ensure effective supervision, accountability and regular audits to prevent irregularities and corruption.
The social welfare ministry has to take the responsibility to monitor other ministries' services relating to persons with disabilities.
It said steps should be taken to publicise grievance redress mechanisms by all offices that provide services to persons with disabilities and a separate hotline has to be set up to lodge complaints.
Besides, corrupt officials and employees involved in providing services to persons with disabilities should be brought under punishment.
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