ABDULLAH MUGHAL

LAHORE: The Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal (SW&BM) Punjab in collaboration with the Punjab Information and Technology Board (PITB) is going to develop an application for getting online complaints from persons with disabilities (PWDs) besides implementing three percent disabled quota across the province.

A senior government officer familiar with the development told Business Recorder that after the development of the application, the PWDs would be able to lodge their complaints online and will track progress made on their applications without visiting the department. The app is likely to be launched in the mid of this year, he added.

To a query, he claimed that the PITB will bear all expenses incurred on the development of the app, adding the SW&BM has also started the process of infrastructure procurement to run the affairs of the app. The app will be compatible for both android and iOS software, he added. Responding to another query, he said the app will not be specifically for the PWDs but anyone can download this app and can lodge a complaint on behalf of a special person as a number of PWDs have to rely on others.

He hoped that the initiative will be very beneficial in implementing three percent disabled job quota besides redressal of genuine concerns of special persons, both fit to work and not fit to work, living in Punjab.

After the app’s launching, the department will upload gender segregated data of registered PWDs along with their status of employment or unemployment and nature of services availing from the government being special persons, he said.

“An online mechanism in the app will be made available where the private sector can find suitable persons against three percent quota to use skills and expertise of PWDs,” the senior officer said, adding that they would also develop a mechanism with Social Need Officers (SNOs), who will also be special persons, for streamlining gaps between the PWDs, non-government organisations (NGOs) and the state-run departments.

While throwing light on the background of the initiative, he said under Section 12(1) of the Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance 1981, Employment Exchange (E.E), the registered PWDs are supposed to refer to the Provincial Council for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (PCRDP) for assessment but presently there is no E.E exists. Therefore, the role is being played by Social Welfare Department through the PCRDP.

Under Section 12(2) of the Ordinance, the PCRDP had set up District Assessment Boards (DABs) in all District of Punjab to assess the nature and extent of disability. Previously, he said all the registration and assessment work was being done manually.

“But now at the first phase of the project, an online system will be developed by the Technical and Development Wing (T&D) at directorate level and a data based on registration and assessment of the PWDs at district level will be maintained with the assistance of the PITB,” he said.

According to the salient features of the app, the PWDs will be able to register themselves online by their own self or through deputy directors of the SW&BM/NGO or district facilitation desk. They will be able to apply online for registration certificate Subsequently, he said the District Assessment Board (DAB) will assess them and their data will be entered in the software. “Data base administrator will also be the part of board for technical expertise regarding data entry in software. Registration certificate will be issued online within fifteen days of the assessment,” he concluded.