Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot today announced that Odisha will soon get three regional institutes to empower the differently-abled people in the state.
The three regional centres would be set up in keeping with the Centre's commitment to the welfare of disabled persons, Gehlot said while inaugurating a girls' hostel at the National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (Nirtar) at Olatpur near here.
The Minister emphasised that his ministry has undertaken a slew of welfare programmes for persons with disabilities in the country.
Soon after Gehlot announced three regional institutes for Odisha, Director of Nirtar S K Mohanty said regional institutes of Dehradun-based National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH), Hyderabad-based National Institute of Mentally Handicapped (NIMH) and Chennai-based National Institute of Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities, would soon start functioning in the state.
After inaugurating the Girls' Hostel of Nirtar, which was built at a cost of Rs 6.5 crore, the Union Minister also launched a disabled-friendly website (www.Nirtar.Nic.In) on the occasion.
Accompanying Gehlot, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Sudarshan Bhagat went around the facility distributing aid and appliances to about 200 disabled persons.
Earlier, Odisha's Minister for Disability Welfare Pranab Prakash Das met Gehlot in Bhubaneswar and submitted a memorandum demanding three institutes in the state.
"The state government has identified land in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar for Regional Centre of NIEPMD and at Olatpur near NIRTAR for other two institutes," Das said, claiming the Union Minister has assured that steps would be taken for establishment of regional centres in Odisha.
Odisha's Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development Minister Lalbihari Himirika also met the Union Minister.
