Annual Tour to the Differently Abled Persons
· 5 min read · 3 official sources
Puducherry state government scheme
Annual Tour to the Differently Abled Persons is a Directorate of Social Welfare scheme in Puducherry that gives selected persons with 40 percent or more disability a free tour to places of cultural and historic importance once a year. Applicants must be aged 18 to 50 with family income below Rs 75,000 a year, and apply after the newspaper notification.
What is the Annual Tour to the Differently Abled Persons?
Annual Tour to the Differently Abled Persons is a welfare scheme of the Differently Abled Section of the Directorate of Social Welfare, Government of Puducherry. The Directorate organises one tour a year and takes a selected group of differently abled persons to places of cultural and historic importance, paying for the tour itself.
According to the Directorate of Social Welfare Citizen's Charter, the objective is "to give an opportunity to the differently abled persons, especially to those who are hailing from weaker section of the society to see the places of cultural and historic importance and for acquainting themselves with various aspects of our cultural heritage." The benefit is recorded as a "Free tour to various places, yearly once. (Subject to selection)".
The phrase "subject to selection" is the operative one. The Directorate runs one tour a year with a limited number of seats. Meeting the eligibility conditions makes a person a candidate, not a beneficiary. Selection is made from among those who apply within the window announced in the newspapers.
The scheme belongs to the same family of welfare measures the Differently Abled Section runs; monthly financial assistance, free rice, motorised tricycles, scholarships, free sarees and dhotis, marriage assistance, vocational training assistance, travel allowances, prosthetic appliances and funeral expenses. Many applicants for the tour are already drawing monthly financial assistance, which is why the Financial Assistance ID card is among the documents to be attached.
Who is eligible for the annual tour?
The Citizen's Charter sets six conditions.
You can apply if:
- Your annual income is below Rs 75,000.
- Your age is between 18 and 50 years.
- Your disability is 40 percent or above.
- You have not performed the tour in the past ten years.
- You are not affected by any contagious disease.
- You accept that drugs and alcoholic items are prohibited on the tour.
You cannot apply if:
- Your family income is Rs 75,000 a year or more.
- You are below 18 or above 50 years of age.
- Your assessed disability is below 40 percent.
- You went on this tour within the last ten years.
- You are affected by a contagious disease, which is a public health condition for a group tour of this kind.
The 40 percent threshold matches the benchmark disability standard used across Indian disability schemes, and is established by the disability certificate issued by the competent medical authority in the Union Territory.
What documents are required for the annual tour?
The Citizen's Charter lists four items, and adds the crucial procedural note that applications may be made only after the newspaper notification.
| Document | Mandatory | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar card | Yes | Identity and address |
| Medical certificate | Yes | Disability and fitness to travel; also relevant to the contagious-disease condition |
| Financial Assistance ID card | Yes | The card issued to differently abled beneficiaries of the Directorate |
| Applicant's photograph | Yes | Recent passport size photo |
| Income proof | Useful | The Rs 75,000 income limit has to be satisfied |
How to apply for the Annual Tour to the Differently Abled Persons
- Wait for the notification. The Directorate of Social Welfare publishes a notification in local newspapers when applications for the year's tour open. The Citizen's Charter states plainly that applicants may apply only after that notification is issued. Watch the Tamil and English dailies circulating in your region.
- Collect and fill the application form from the Social Welfare office in your region. Enter your name, address, age, nature and percentage of disability, annual income, and confirm that you have not been on this tour in the past ten years.
- Attach the four documents: Aadhaar card, medical certificate, Financial Assistance ID card and a recent photograph.
- Submit the application to the right officer for your region:
- Puducherry: The Deputy Director, Differently Abled Section, Directorate of Social Welfare, Puducherry.
- Karaikal: The Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department, Karaikal.
- Mahe and Yanam: The Welfare Officer (in-charge), Social Welfare Department (Sub Office), Mahe or Yanam.
- Keep the acknowledgement and follow up with the same office. The charter records the processing time as "Will be conducted once in a year", so the answer is not immediate, the tour is organised on a yearly cycle.
How much does the annual tour cost the beneficiary?
Nothing for the tour itself. The Citizen's Charter describes the benefit as a free tour, and the Directorate of Social Welfare meets the cost out of its budget for the differently abled. No cash is transferred to the beneficiary's bank account under this scheme, the benefit is the trip, not money.
Personal spending during the trip, such as souvenirs or extra food, is the traveller's own. The prohibition on drugs and alcoholic items applies for the whole duration of the tour and is a condition of participation, not a suggestion.
Why applications for the annual tour get rejected
- Applying outside the notified window. Applications sent before the newspaper notification, or after the closing date, are not considered.
- Disability below 40 percent on the certificate produced.
- Age outside 18 to 50 years on the date of application.
- Income of Rs 75,000 a year or more, or income not evidenced at all.
- Having travelled under the scheme within the last ten years. The Directorate keeps records of past participants, so this is checked.
- Missing Financial Assistance ID card. This is one of the four named documents and its absence leaves the application incomplete.
- Not selected. Even a fully eligible application can fail if the seats for that year are filled. That is not a defect in the application and the person can apply again in a later year.
The practical fix for most of these is to keep the disability certificate, income certificate and Financial Assistance ID card current all year, so that when the notification appears you can file within days rather than start collecting papers.
How to check the status of your application and raise a grievance
There is no online status tracker for this scheme. Follow up in person or by phone with the office where you submitted the application.
- Puducherry region: The Deputy Director, Differently Abled Section, Directorate of Social Welfare, Puducherry, 0413-2205871, 0413-2205872.
- Karaikal: The Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department, Karaikal: 04368-223026.
- Mahe: The Welfare Officer, Social Welfare Department (Sub Office), Mahe, 0490-2332560.
- Yanam: The Welfare Officer, Social Welfare Department (Sub Office), Yanam, 0884-2321319.
If there is delay, the Citizen's Charter names the escalation route: the Director, Directorate of Social Welfare, Saradhambal Nagar, Ellaipillaichavady, Puducherry, for the Puducherry region; the Collector, Karaikal, for Karaikal; and the Regional Administrator for Mahe and Yanam. Grievances may also be filed through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).
Applying for this scheme is free. No fee is payable to any person or agent for the form, for submission, or for a seat on the tour.
Documents required
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for the Annual Tour to the Differently Abled Persons in Puducherry?
A person with 40 percent or more disability, aged between 18 and 50 years, whose annual income is below Rs 75,000, who has not performed the tour in the past ten years and who is not affected by any contagious disease is eligible. Selection is made by the Directorate of Social Welfare from among the applicants.
How often can I go on this tour?
Once in ten years at most. The Citizen's Charter states that the applicant "should not have performed the tour for the past ten years", so a person who travelled under this scheme recently cannot apply again until ten years have passed.
What does the beneficiary have to pay?
Nothing for the tour itself: the charter describes the benefit as a "Free tour to various places, yearly once", subject to selection. Personal spending on the trip is the traveller's own.
When can I apply?
Only after the Directorate of Social Welfare issues a notification in the local newspapers. The Citizen's Charter is explicit: "Applicant's may apply only after issue of notification in the local newspapers." There is no rolling application window.
Where do I submit the application?
In Puducherry region, to the Deputy Director, Differently Abled Section, Directorate of Social Welfare, Puducherry. In Karaikal, to the Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department. In Mahe and Yanam, to the Welfare Officer in-charge of the Social Welfare Department sub office.
Are drugs and alcohol allowed on the tour?
No. The Citizen's Charter lists "Drugs and alcoholic items are prohibited" as an express condition of the scheme, alongside the requirement that the applicant not be affected by any contagious disease.
Is a person aged 55 with a disability eligible?
No. The age band in the Citizen's Charter is 18 to 50 years, so a person aged 55 is not eligible for this particular scheme, however severe the disability. Other Directorate of Social Welfare schemes for differently abled persons, such as monthly financial assistance, have different age rules.
See all Puducherry Persons with Disabilities Welfare Department schemes →
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Schemes in other states
Official forms & downloads
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Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- socwelfare.py.gov.in (socwelfare.py.gov.in/sites/default/files/citizen-charter.pdf)
- myscheme.gov.in (www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/atdap)
- py.gov.in (py.gov.in/social-welfare)
Last fact-checked: 2 August 2026