By Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 16 Oct: A crucial meeting of the local-level committee for appointing legal guardians for persons with disabilities was held today at the District Collectorate auditorium under the chairmanship of Chief Development Officer (CDO) Abhinav Shah. The committee scrutinised a total of 11 applications received online and recommended 10 of them for appointment.
The CDO observed that in several aspects of life, persons with disabilities (Divyangjan) require legal representation based on specific facts and circumstances. He stressed that while appointing legal guardians, all the relevant factors must be carefully considered to ensure that each person with disability receives proper care, support, and legal protection. He added that the appointment of legal guardians would not only provide care and protection but would also help bring qualitative improvement in their lives. During the meeting, recommendations were made for the appointment of legal guardians for ten mentally challenged persons, namely Krishna Kutola, Arshdeep Singh, Sunil Kumar Bhatt, Anil Kumar, Manish Bhatt, Deep Sethi, Mohd Faiz Ansari, Poonam Verma, Munia Sharma, and Rai Singh.
District Social Welfare Officer Dipankar Ghildiyal shared that under the National Trust Act, 1999, persons with mental or intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and multiple disabilities are eligible to be provided a legal guardian upon attaining the age of 18 years. The legal guardian, who may be a parent or a family member, is authorised to represent the interests of the person with disability, take legally binding decisions on their behalf, ensure their personal care, protect their property, and operate their bank accounts.
He further informed that applications for the appointment of a legal guardian can be submitted online through the website of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, at thenationaltrust.gov.in. The nominated legal guardians are required to submit Form C and Form D every six months to the Department of Social Welfare, detailing the property and health status of the person with disability.
The meeting was attended by Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, District Social Welfare Officer Dipankar Ghildiyal, District Government Counsel Rajeev Acharya, Lead District Manager Sanjay Bhatia, and parents of persons with disabilities.
