Chandigarh: The Chandigarh Administration on Friday approved major reforms to expand residential capacity, ease admission norms and improve financial accessibility for persons with disabilities at the Group Home in Sector 31. The decisions were cleared during the 5th governing body meeting of the Utthaan Society of Group Home, chaired by UT chief secretary Hiriadka Rajesh Prasad, who also serves as chairperson of the body.Under the approved measures, the annual family income ceiling for availing a 50% fee concession has been doubled from ₹4 lakh to ₹8 lakh. The total capacity of the facility has also been enhanced from 42 to 80 residents, with 20 seats specifically reserved for fee-concession and economically weaker section (EWS) beneficiaries.To ease the transition for new residents, the trial stay period for accompanying parents or guardians has been extended to three months, with provisions for further extensions wherever required. Additionally, parents and guardians will now be permitted to visit residents in their rooms for one to two hours daily between 7.30 am and 7.30 pm.In a move to streamline the admission process, medical assessments for applicants with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will henceforth be conducted directly at the Group Home. The administration has also reduced the mandatory assessment period from 45 days to 30 days.Furthermore, eligibility criteria for persons with mental illness have been broadened, subject to a minimum benchmark disability of 40%. To ensure consistent healthcare monitoring of all residents, psychiatric and medical specialists from the Government Rehabilitation Institute for Intellectual Disabilities (GRIID) and the Mental Health Institute (MHI) will conduct weekly visits to the facility.“These decisions reaffirm the Chandigarh Administration’s commitment to inclusive, accessible and family-friendly institutional care that upholds the dignity, well-being and quality of life of persons with disabilities,” said a UT official.
