Subsidy Scheme on Establishment of 40 R.I.R. Birds Unit for Divyang People, Gujarat

What is the 40 R.I.R. birds unit scheme for Divyang people?

The Subsidy Scheme on Establishment of 40 R.I.R. Birds Unit for Divyang People is a Gujarat state livestock scheme launched by the Department of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Co-operation, and run by the Directorate of Animal Husbandry through the state's poultry extension network. Its purpose, as stated by the department, is to provide employment, a nutritious diet and higher income to Divyang people; persons with disabilities, in Gujarat.

The benefit is a working backyard poultry unit rather than a cash grant. A selected beneficiary receives 40 Rhode Island Red (R.I.R.) birds together with poultry feed. The unit cost is Rs 8,000, and the department subsidises 90 per cent of it, to a maximum of Rs 7,200, delivered in the form of the birds and the feed themselves. The beneficiary bears the remaining share, about Rs 800.

Rhode Island Red is chosen deliberately. It is a dual-purpose breed. A reasonable layer and a reasonable table bird, that is hardier in backyard conditions than a commercial layer strain, tolerates scavenging, and needs less controlled housing. For a person with limited mobility, 40 R.I.R. birds in a backyard pen is a manageable enterprise in a way that a large commercial shed is not.

Key numbers

• Unit size: 40 R.I.R. birds plus poultry feed
• Unit cost: Rs 8,000
• Subsidy: 90 per cent, maximum Rs 7,200
• Beneficiary share: roughly Rs 800
• Maintenance period: 2 years in normal cases
• Family limit: one member per family

Under the scheme the birds are vaccinated regularly, which removes the commonest reason small backyard flocks collapse in the first year.

Who is eligible for the 40 R.I.R. birds unit scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are an adult Divyang person, a person with a disability — resident in Gujarat, holding a disability certificate from the competent authority.
• You can provide income proof along with the application. This is a stated condition, not an optional paper.
• You have already taken poultry-keeping training. The department requires prior training before entrusting a bird unit.
• You can keep the birds safe during night hours. The beneficiary must be able to arrange secure night housing against predators and theft.
• No other member of your family has taken this benefit; only one member of a family can be covered.

Priority within the eligible pool goes to:

• Women applicants, and
• Applicants Below the Poverty Line.

You cannot apply, or you are not eligible, if:

• You are not a Divyang person, or cannot produce a disability certificate from the competent authority.
• You are a minor. The scheme covers adults.
• You have not taken poultry-keeping training.
• You cannot provide income proof with the application.
• Another member of your family has already received this benefit.
• You are resident outside Gujarat.
• You cannot arrange safe night housing for the birds, since that is an explicit condition of the scheme.

If you meet every condition except the training, apply first for Gujarat's Stipend Scheme for Poultry Farming Training for Weaker Section, which runs six-day training and pays up to Rs 2,000, and use the certificate from that course to satisfy this scheme's training requirement.

What documents are required?

Carry self-attested photocopies of every document along with the originals for verification at the receiving office.

How to apply for the 40 R.I.R. birds unit scheme

1. Visit the nearest Intensive Poultry Development Project office or the District Poultry Extension Centre in your district and collect the application form for the 40 R.I.R. birds unit scheme for Divyang people.
2. Fill in all the mandatory fields of the application form, personal details, disability certificate particulars, income details, residence, training certificate details and bank account details.
3. Attach self-attested copies of every required document, including the disability certificate, income proof, residence proof, bank passbook and poultry-keeping training certificate.
4. Submit the completed form to the designated receiving authority at that office and take an acknowledgement.
5. Wait for verification. Departmental staff check the disability certificate, income proof and training certificate, and confirm you can house the birds safely.
6. On sanction by the Regional Joint Director, collect the 40-bird unit and the poultry feed as arranged by the office.

This scheme is offline only. Unlike several other Gujarat animal husbandry schemes, it is not filed as a self-service application on the ikhedut portal, so the district poultry office is the route to use.

What are the conditions after you receive the unit?

The department attaches specific ongoing conditions to the unit:

• Eligible applications are sanctioned by the Regional Joint Director of the concerned department.
• Sick birds must be treated immediately, as and when birds get infected, treatment must be given without delay.
• Records must be produced on demand. When a government officer visits the farm, the beneficiary must show the income and expenditure statement.
• The unit must be maintained for two years in normal cases.
• Birds are vaccinated regularly under the scheme, so the beneficiary must cooperate with the vaccination visits.
• In all terms and conditions, the final authority is the Director of Animal Husbandry, Gujarat State, Gandhinagar.

Keeping a simple income and expenditure register from day one is the single most practical thing a beneficiary can do. It takes a few minutes a week, it satisfies the inspection condition, and it tells the beneficiary whether the unit is actually making money.

How do you follow up on your application?

1. Return to the Intensive Poultry Development Project office or District Poultry Extension Centre where you submitted the form, quoting the acknowledgement you were given.
2. Ask whether the file has been forwarded to the Regional Joint Director for sanction, and whether any document is pending.
3. If the file is with the Regional Joint Director, ask for the expected sanction round. Sanctions depend on the year's budget allocation for the district.
4. Escalate to the District Deputy Director (Animal Husbandry) if the file sits without movement or explanation.

Because there is no online status tracker for this scheme, keeping the acknowledgement slip and a photocopy of the submitted form is important. Without them, tracing an application at a busy district office is difficult.

Why do applications get rejected?

• No poultry-keeping training certificate. Prior training is an explicit eligibility condition and the commonest gap in otherwise good applications.
• Disability certificate missing, expired or not from the competent authority.
• No income proof certificate attached to the application.
• Another family member has already benefited under the scheme.
• No safe night housing for the birds, found at verification.
• Incomplete form or unattested photocopies, which stall the file at the receiving office.
• Budget exhausted for the district in that year, in which case the application waits for the next allocation rather than being rejected on merit.

Where the gap is the training certificate, the fix is straightforward but takes time: complete the six-day poultry training first, then reapply with the certificate.

Where do you get help?

• Nearest Intensive Poultry Development Project office or District Poultry Extension Centre, first point of contact for forms, submission and follow-up.
• Regional Joint Director (Animal Husbandry) of your region, the sanctioning authority for this scheme.
• Director of Animal Husbandry, Gujarat State, Gandhinagar, the final authority on all terms and conditions, contactable through doah.gujarat.gov.in.
• District Deputy Director (Animal Husbandry) for delays and grievances.

No fee is payable to collect or submit the application form. If anyone asks for money to "arrange" a bird unit sanction, report it to the District Deputy Director (Animal Husbandry), because sanctions are made by the Regional Joint Director on verified eligibility alone.