In a significant move to address the growing backlog of disability identity cards, the Odisha government has decided to empower all government medical colleges and hospitals with the authority to issue Unique Disability Identity (UDID) cards for persons with disabilities.
Expanding Authority to Medical Institutions
The state's Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities department has proposed to include and register 14 medical colleges and hospitals for the assessment and issuance of UDID cards. This decision comes as Odisha faces a substantial backlog in processing applications, with the state ranking third in the country for pending UDID applications after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
In an official communication to concerned authorities, Parul Patawari, director of the social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities department, confirmed that the health and family welfare department has approved the expansion of issuing authorities.
List of Authorized Medical Institutions
The medical colleges and hospitals that will now issue UDID cards include:
- SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack
- MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur
- VIMSAR, Burla
- Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, Balasore
- Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, Koraput
- Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital, Balangir
- Dharanidhar Medical College and Hospital, Keonjhar
- Saheed Rendo Majhi Medical College and Hospital, Kalahandi
- Jajati Keshari Medical College and Hospital, Jajpur
- Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital, Baripada
- Government Medical College, Sundargarh
- Shri Jagannath Medical College and Hospital, Puri
- Pabitra Mohan Pradhan Medical College and Hospital, Angul
- Government Medical College, Kandhamal
New System Implementation
The superintendents of these medical colleges and hospitals will act as the issuing authority for UDID cards. They will be provided with credentials to log into the Swabalamban portal, where the assessment and registration of persons with disabilities will be conducted for generating UDID cards.
This decision follows the central government's refusal to provide additional login credentials per hospital for UDID card generation. The letter from the department stated: "Government of India was written for issuing more login credentials per hospital for the generation of UDID cards to facilitate the early disposal of pending applications, which was categorically denied. Hence, it was decided to authorise the medical colleges and hospitals to act as a medical board for the issuance of the UDIDs."
Addressing the Backlog Crisis
Previously, district social security officers were the only authorities empowered to issue UDID cards, with assessments and ID generation conducted during special camps at district, block, and panchayat levels. Officials expect that designating medical colleges as issuing authorities will significantly accelerate the clearance of pending applications.
The districts with the highest number of pending UDID applications include Balasore, Ganjam, and Cuttack, followed by Bhadrak, Balangir, Jagatsinghpur, and Keonjhar. The new system aims to provide faster and more accessible services to persons with disabilities across the state, ensuring they receive their identification cards without unnecessary delays.
