Supply of Radio to the Blind Persons, Puducherry
Puducherry state government scheme
Supply of Radio to the Blind Persons is a Directorate of Social Welfare, Puducherry scheme that gives one free radio for recreation to blind persons with 40 per cent disability or more, who have lived in the union territory for at least 5 years and whose annual income is below Rs 75,000. Apply offline at the directorate.
What is the Supply of Radio to the Blind Persons scheme?
Supply of Radio to the Blind Persons is a small welfare scheme of the Directorate of Social Welfare, Government of Puducherry. The directorate describes the benefit in one line: "One Radio to the Blind person for recreation."
The scheme is a benefit in kind. A radio set is supplied to the eligible beneficiary; no cash equivalent is published for it. Its purpose is recreational rather than financial, a radio remains the most accessible medium for a person who cannot read print and who may not have a smartphone, and the scheme predates the spread of assistive technology.
Supply of Radio to the Blind Persons is one of nineteen differently abled schemes listed by the directorate on socwelfare.py.gov.in. The others include grant of financial assistance to differently abled persons, award of scholarship to differently abled students, free distribution of rice, grant of fuel subsidy to differently abled persons owning motorised vehicles, grant of transport allowance, issue of free bus passes, reimbursement of the maintenance cost of tricycles, supply of prosthetic appliances, supply of invalid carriages (motorised tricycles), supply of sarees and dhoties, incentives for marriage involving a differently abled person, incentive for eye donors, group insurance for differently abled government employees, and homes and special schools.
Who is eligible for a free radio in Puducherry?
The directorate publishes three conditions and the national listing adds the income figure.
You can apply if:
- You are blind.
- Your disability is 40 per cent or above, certified by the competent medical authority.
- You have been a native or resident of the Union Territory of Puducherry for at least five years.
- Your annual income is less than Rs 75,000.
You cannot apply, or are not eligible, if:
- Your certified disability is below 40 per cent. Low vision that does not reach the 40 per cent threshold does not qualify under this scheme, though other directorate schemes may still be open to you.
- You have a disability other than blindness. The scheme is specific to blind persons; other differently abled persons are covered by the directorate's other eighteen schemes.
- Your annual income is Rs 75,000 or more.
- You have lived in the union territory for less than five years.
- You cannot produce a disability certificate from a competent medical authority, or a UDID card.
What documents are required?
| Document | Mandatory | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Disability certificate certifying blindness | Yes | 40 per cent or above |
| Residence certificate | Yes | 5 years in the union territory |
| Income certificate | Yes | Annual income below Rs 75,000 |
| Proof of identity | Yes | Aadhaar or equivalent |
| UDID card | No | From swavlambancard.gov.in |
| Passport-size photograph | No | Where the form provides for it |
The directorate links directly to the Unique Disability ID (UDID) portal at swavlambancard.gov.in from its own website. A UDID card is worth obtaining because it serves as the disability document across the whole set of schemes and saves repeat medical board visits.
How to apply for the Supply of Radio scheme
Applications for this scheme are received offline.
- Obtain the disability certificate from the competent medical authority, certifying blindness of 40 per cent or above, or apply for a UDID card through swavlambancard.gov.in.
- Get the residence and income certificates from the Revenue Department. The income certificate must show annual income below Rs 75,000, and residence must cover at least five years in the union territory.
- Visit the office or sub-office of the Department of Social Welfare during office hours and request the prescribed application form from the staff entrusted with issuing and collecting applications. Forms are also published in the "Differently Abled Persons - Download Forms" section on socwelfare.py.gov.in.
- Fill in all mandatory fields and, where the form provides for it, paste a passport-size photograph signed across.
- Attach self-attested copies of the disability certificate, residence certificate, income certificate and identity proof.
- Submit the application to the authority for your region:
- Puducherry: the Deputy Director, Differently Abled Section, Directorate of Social Welfare.
- Karaikal: the Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department (Sub Office).
- Mahe and Yanam: the Welfare Officer in charge, Social Welfare Department (Sub Office).
- Ask for a receipt or acknowledgement carrying the date and time of submission and a unique identification number where applicable.
Because the applicant is blind, the directorate's counters and Anganwadi workers routinely help with filling the form. A family member or a representative of a registered welfare association for the visually impaired can assist, but the application is made in the beneficiary's own name.
How the radio is supplied
The radio is handed over physically once the application is sanctioned and stock is available. Unlike a pension, this is a one-time supply against procurement, so the timing depends on the directorate's purchase cycle for the year rather than on a monthly payment calendar. Beneficiaries should keep the acknowledgement and respond promptly when the directorate calls them to collect.
How to get the disability certificate first
Almost every refusal under this scheme traces back to the disability document rather than to the radio. Two routes exist in Puducherry:
- A disability certificate from the competent medical authority at a government hospital, which records the type of disability and the percentage. For blindness, the percentage assessment is what decides whether you cross the 40 per cent threshold the directorate applies.
- A Unique Disability ID (UDID) card, applied for at swavlambancard.gov.in, which the Directorate of Social Welfare links to directly from its own website. The UDID is a national card carrying the assessed percentage, and once issued it works across the directorate's differently abled schemes, the free bus pass, the transport allowance and the monthly financial assistance, without a fresh medical board each time.
The directorate also runs the Anandha Rangapillai Special School for Visually Challenged and Hearing Impaired at Pillaichavady, Puducherry, and staff there can point families towards the certification process.
How to check your application status
There is no scheme-specific online tracker for this benefit. Check by:
- Visiting or calling the office where you applied, quoting the acknowledgement date. The Directorate of Social Welfare's numbers are 0413-2205871 and 0413-2205872.
- Looking at the Schemes - Beneficiaries Detail page on socwelfare.py.gov.in, where the directorate publishes beneficiary information for its schemes.
Why applications are rejected
- Disability certified below 40 per cent, or a certificate that has expired.
- The applicant is not blind but has another disability, which places the case under a different scheme.
- Income certificate shows Rs 75,000 or more.
- Residence certificate short of five years.
- Documents not self-attested or originals not produced for verification.
- Stock not available in the current procurement cycle, in which case the application is normally carried forward rather than rejected, ask the office whether your file is pending or closed.
Key dates and how often the benefit is given
The directorate does not announce an application window for this scheme, so applications are received through the year. The radio is a one-time supply, not an annual entitlement, and a beneficiary who has already received one is not given a replacement under the same scheme.
Where to raise a grievance
- Directorate of Social Welfare, No. 1 Saradhambal Nagar, Ellaipillaichavady, Puducherry 605005 to phone 0413-2205871, 0413-2205872, email socwel@py.gov.in. The directorate names a Public Grievances Redressal Officer reachable on 0413-2205871.
- Karaikal: Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department, Perunthailaivar Kamarajar Administrative Complex, Madagadi, Karaikal, 04368-223026.
- Mahe: Welfare Officer — 0490-2332370. Yanam: Welfare Officer: 0884-2321319.
- Office of the Secretary to Government (Welfare) cum Commissioner for Disabilities, Chief Secretariat, Goubert Salai, Puducherry; 0413-2334484 and 0413-2333271, for grievances under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.
- CPGRAMS at pgportal.gov.in for a written grievance.
The form and the radio are both free of cost, and no agent's fee is payable at any stage.
Documents required
Frequently asked questions
What does the Supply of Radio scheme give to blind persons in Puducherry?
The Directorate of Social Welfare supplies one radio to a blind person for recreation. It is a benefit in kind, handed over as a radio set rather than paid as cash.
Who is eligible for a free radio in Puducherry?
A blind person with a disability of 40 per cent or above, who has been a native or resident of the Union Territory of Puducherry for at least 5 years and whose annual income is less than Rs 75,000, is eligible.
What is the income limit for the free radio scheme?
The annual income of the applicant must be less than Rs 75,000, as recorded on the directorate's own eligibility list for the scheme.
Can a person with low vision but under 40 per cent disability apply?
No. The directorate's eligibility condition is a disability of 40 per cent and above, which is the standard threshold across its differently abled schemes.
Where do I apply for the radio scheme?
Apply at the Directorate of Social Welfare, No. 1 Saradhambal Nagar, Ellaipillaichavady, Puducherry 605005, or at the Social Welfare Department sub-office in Karaikal, Mahe or Yanam.
What other schemes exist for blind and differently abled people in Puducherry?
The directorate runs nineteen differently abled schemes, including monthly financial assistance, scholarships, free bus passes, transport allowance, fuel subsidy, supply of prosthetic appliances, motorised tricycles, free distribution of rice, marriage incentives and sarees and dhoties at festivals.
Is there a fee for the radio?
No. The radio is supplied free of cost and the application form is issued free of charge at the directorate and its sub-offices.
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