The IT ministry's e-governance arm CSC SPV and Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) on Wednesday said they have partnered to provide assistive devices free of cost to persons with disabilities and senior citizens in rural areas. The beneficiaries will be registered at around 4 lakh common service centres (CSCs) across the country. State-run not-for-profit body ALIMCO will provide them assistive devices free of cost. Registration at CSCs will be done for free for 'divyangjan' (persons with disabilities) and senior citizens, CSC e-Governance Services India Limited said in a statement. A team of rehabilitation professionals from ALIMCO will assess the registered candidate, prescribe and supply aids under the Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aid and Appliances (ADIP) scheme of the government. "On an average, ALIMCO is serving 4 lakh beneficiaries in a year. Our partnership with CSC will help us reach out to the maximum number of persons with disability and senior citizens who require assistive devices and help them avail the benefits of these schemes, enabling them to become independent," ALIMCO CMD D R Sarin said. The service will be rolled out as a pilot in six districts of Uttar Pradesh, following which it will be extended to all states, the statement said. "More than 11,000 persons with disabilities are engaged as Village Level Entrepreneurs under the CSC scheme. Through this partnership, we hope to increase access to assistive devices for divyangjans and senior citizens," CSC SPV CEO Dinesh Tyagi said.
