Dear fellow cynics, When we ask for a concession / special benefit for the disabled, our point of view should be it should be beneficial for at least one amongst us.
For example, Subramony has not availed the benefit of employment reservation while getting his prestigious job on the Deccan Herarld. And, we know that employment reservation does benefit only a miniscule proportion amongst the 40 million disabled in India. But, that does not mean we need to throw the baby out with the bath water. Those of us who want to avail of higher interest rate for deposits can avail of it, if made applicable while those of us who don't need it, or, think it is leeching on the Indian society, need not. But, let us not stop our efforts to get this benefit due to pangs of conscience, and lobby as hard as we did for making banking, insurance and depository services more inclusive. Secondly, by insisting on disability certificates for making higher interest rates admissible, banks can target this special benefit better to the disabled. So, the trickle down will be much better than the famous stats the father-son duo bandied around. We face a lot of additional expenses on account of our disability - in commuting, in buying assistive technology devices and aids and even in esoteric treatments. Let us not say no to whatever state support we can get as a class. After all, we deserve it much more than fat cow politicians who give themselves fancy pay hikes every now and then. And, to answer Rajesh's question on why we are still not a class, because we are still not a vote bank. In a democracy, only vote banks get benefits and most of the disabled, including yours truly, do not vote. Rgds RS -----Original Message----- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, Rajesh Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 12:44 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank interest for the disabled people Friends As a fellow cynic, I would also like to add a rejoinder to subramani's submissions: 1. It is true that the general fate of government schemes, specially meant for disadvantaged groups, is dismal, and the actual benefits evaporate into thin air. Even there is no dissemination of schemes to the general public/beneficiaries and their complexity is mind-boggling. 2. However, I agree to much lesser extent with the idea that we as persons with disabilities, or in my view inabilities, can always compete and earn our pai on equal terms with others. Rather, our earning capacity as group is far worse than other comparable groups. As an individual also, I can say that a person with inability earns far lesser than her/his counterpart i.e. with same/similar caliber/background but without a particular impairment. 3. The scheme of differential deposit interest to PWDs, is not a complex one and will benefit every disabled who can set aside even a paisa in a savings account. Still, interest rate on a savings account is within the regulatory perview of RBI, or legally speaking so are interest rates of all deposits but which practically have been deregulated. So, a state mandate to give more interest on savings of persons with disabilities is likely to add to meager kitty of PWDs a little at least. In fact, I opine that all the benefits given to most backward classes in India, be automatically extended to persons with disabilities. Our misfortune is that still state is far from recognizing us as one of backward classes. Either we are not backward, or we are not a class!!!! Regards Rajesh -----Original Message----- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Subramani L Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 12:25 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people I'm sure by arguing tooth and nail for this is not going to get us anywhere, so I would only try putting my views across, since I feel strongly about them. I do agree there are segments amongst the disabled who will benefit from the higher interest. Whilst I don't contest the tangible benefits from such special considerations, I am only trying to see if we as people who compete with others and earn our pie without having any privilege of endowments, can set a precedence by not taking benefits that are not actually ment for us. The problem with Indians as a whole is that we always think hard (some even work hard) to find short cuts to get things not meant for us and also avoid paying money we ought to pay. And mind you, only such so-called "smart" people take advantage of benefits and not everyone. If schemes that ought to have given us a hundred per cent is giving only 5 per cent despite E-Governance, is there any good in asking for them in the first place? We are certainly not going to get anything more than a symbolic gesture by the state that it cares for the disabled even though it isn't actually doing anything. Sorry for being so cynical; one of the diseases of being a journalist is that you observe things and end up becoming a cynic despite your hardest attempts not to be one. Subramani -----Original Message----- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Sudhir R (NeSTIT) Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 4:12 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people 1. When we talk about the disabled, let us also think of those who are not visually challenged and those who cannot use assistive technologies to work productively. 2. Even those who have access to assistive technologies seldom get an opportunity to work or earn a living. 3. Lots of people become disabled in the middle age, due to accidents or disease, and are not able to get proper rehab inputs and usually retire early. Let us not forget that not every person has a pensionable job. 4. And, there are the cases where disabled persons live off inheritances or endowments made in their names. In a country which can afford to spend thousands of crores on poorly-targetted welfare schemes (Remember Rajiv Gandhi admitting that just 15 paisa of every welfare Rupee reaches the targeted needy. His son has revised the figure to 5 paisa after e-governance has been introduced. (smile)), I don't think we need to feel too guilty about asking for a 0.5% additional interest for bank deposits of the disabled. After all, it will be a well-targetted scheme, benefiting only those who are disabled and their families. And, it is going to cost just a fraction of the Rs 60,000 crores written off in farms loans waiver recently. As I said, it may be fashionable to claim we are equal to the able-bodied in all respects and have to be treated equally, but, let us admit that both assumptions are far from reality. Rgds RS -----Original Message----- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of niranjanraj urs Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 2:48 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people Congradulations Subramanian for being brave to say what you think as right. There is no end if one section of society goes on asking for concessions for itself. One has also to care for the paying capacity of the system at large. The concession under the Income tax law for PH is based on the premise that the handicap limits the earning capacity of the individual. as such, one cannot draw anology between IT concession and concession in the form of higher interest to PH persons. If I am correct, banks do give concessions in interest on loans advanced under self employment schemes, for which there certainly exist a rationale. I therefore urge my friends on the list to please think of ways and means for reaching out assistive technologies to not so well to do friends among us, of making software developers to come up with screen reading tools in vernacular languages and reaching out these softwares at affordable prices etc. Niranjan On 2/10/09, Subramani L <lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in> wrote: > Whenever we think of more 'incentives', the question we confront is: if > we can demand equality and special treatment of some sort at the same > time? > > Though some of us work and pursue careers of our choice, the same can't > be said about others, so in the first place where is the question of > having large savings for those who don't have high income or don't work > in sunrise industries? Secondly, on the contrary, those who pursue > careers that fetch them good income: how can we ask for special > interests if we work on equal terms with others? These are questions I > often get when I think of the subject, but I am not successful in find > answers. > > Subramani > > -----Original Message----- > From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in > [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of mukeshbhai > Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 10:35 PM > To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in > Subject: Re: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people > > Yes, > This is really new and good topic to be discussed. > I agree with you Prafulbhai. > Handicapped must have such benefits > > Thanks and Regards, > > Dr. Mukesh Patel > Principal > Physiotherapy College for The Blind, > Ahmedabad. > E Mail: ptmuk...@gmail.com > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Praful Vyas" <prafulnv...@gmail.com> > To: "accessindia" <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> > Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 6:27 PM > Subject: [AI] Bank intrest for the disabled people > > >> Dear Friends, >> >> Herewith, I put a new topic for discussion before my learned > Accessindian >> friends. >> All banks are given half percent more interest on all type of fixed >> deposits to the senior citizens than other. I believe that this > benefit >> should also be given to the persons with disabilities. Please give > your >> views. >> >> Yours Sincerely, >> Praful Vyas, >> Hon. Secretary, >> Andhjan Kalyan Trust, >> Behind Jain Derasar, Station Plot, >> Dhoraji-360410. >> Dist. Rajkot, Gujarat, India. >> E-mail: >> aktr...@sancharnet.in >> prafulnv...@gmail.com >> Website: http://www.aktrust.org >> Phone: 91-2824-223502, >> Fax: 91-2824-223502, >> Mobile: +919428261878. >> Please visit the Give India site to see our Profile and support us- >> http://www.giveindia.org/m-116-andhjan-kalyan-trust.aspx >> And also visit at >> www.carencureindia.org/aktrust.asp >> All Donation Enjoy 50% Exemption Under Section 80 G 5 of the Income > Tax >> Act >> 1961 >> >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in >> with the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >> please visit the list home page at >> > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n > > > > > To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n > > Email secured by TPML Raksha Checkpoint > > > > To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with > the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n > To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. 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