Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel distributed motorised tricycles and joystick wheelchairs valued at Rs 36.7 crore to 5,676 individuals with disabilities in the state. The initiative aims to enhance mobility and reduce the physical strain associated with daily travel. At an event in Gandhinagar, the chief minister handed over assistive devices to 40 beneficiaries, with the rest set to receive them across 34 districts.
The distribution includes 4,000 motorised tricycles for persons with disabilities and 1,676 joystick-operated wheelchairs. This effort is part of the assistive device support program for individuals with disabilities led by the state’s Social Justice and Empowerment Department. In the state budget for 2025-26, Rs 60 crore was allocated for this scheme.
During the event, CM Patel emphasized that these devices would enable individuals with disabilities to carry out daily tasks independently and move between locations more comfortably. The introduction of motorised tricycles and joystick-operated wheelchairs replaces hand-operated tricycles and standard wheelchairs, which required more physical effort and posed challenges for long-distance travel.
To enhance mobility for beneficiaries with specific disabilities, the chief minister announced changes in financial assistance under the joystick wheelchair scheme. The state government increased the assistance amount for folding joystick wheelchairs to Rs 1.10 lakh to facilitate convenient travel for individuals with locomotor disability, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and multiple disabilities. Additionally, the eligibility age for assistance for beneficiaries with muscular dystrophy type disability was lowered from 18 years to 10 years.
Patel directed the Social Justice and Empowerment Department to ensure a saturation approach, guaranteeing that every eligible person with a disability in the state receives the necessary assistive devices provided by the government.
