Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said the state government is drafting a scheme to ensure that no physically challenged person would remain unemployed in the state.
The Chief Minister stated this while addressing 'Viklangjan Upkaran Vitran Samaroh' organised under the aegis of Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the state government, at Karnal today.
On this occasion, he distributed about 5,276 aids and appliances costing about Rs 2.9 crore to about 3,200 beneficiaries.
Khattar said that after conducting survey in other Lok Sabha areas to assess the number of persons with disabilities, such functions would also be organised there and aids and appliances would be distributed to them.
Similarly, after conducting survey of persons with 80 to 100 per cent disabilities, vehicles would be provided to them according to their requirement, according to an official release here.
The Chief Minister said that the government has earmarked a budget of Rs 240 crore to provide various facilities to people with disabilities.
Khattar said that with a view to provide employment to persons with disabilities, special courses would be started under Haryana Skill Development Mission.
He said that a school for persons with disabilities is functional in the state which has been approved to be upgraded to Class 10. The school would further be upgraded to Class 12 next year.
Apart from this, the state government has provided five acres of land to the Centre for setting up a college for persons with disabilities in the state. A sum of Rs 5 crore would be spent in the first phase of the college.
The Chief Minister said that persons with disabilities
have accomplished many achievements and are doing remarkable work thereby giving inspiration to others.
He said at present pension amounting to Rs 1,200 was being given to persons with disabilities which would be increased to Rs 1,400 from January 2016 and to Rs 2,000 by 2019.
He informed that Haryana is polio and leprosy free and now government is making efforts to make the state tuberculosis free.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Krishan Pal Gurjar said that new schemes were being introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make persons with disabilities self reliant and to rehabilitate them.
He said that there are 2.68 crore persons with disabilities in the country for whom camps were being organised by the Department.
Apart from this, a scheme has been prepared to provide Universal I-Card to persons with disabilities. The specialty of this I-Card is that the persons with disabilities carrying this card could avail benefits in any part of the country.
Giving example of Louis Braille, Helen Keller and Surdas, the Union Minister said that these prominent personalities have inspired other people of the society.
Gurjar said that every year, 30,000 deaf and dumb children take birth. A scheme is in pipeline to make such children competent.
With a view to provide every facility to persons with disabilities in government buildings, 48 cities of the country have been selected including Gurgaon and Faridabad of Haryana where ramps would be constructed in government buildings for them, he said.
