Rolling out assurances while inaugurating a multipurpose welfare camp on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the community health centre in Prem Nagar on Thursday, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that free of cost land would be provided to the institutes which are going to establish schools for the specially-abled children in the State.
Besides, five percent houses would be reserved for the handicapped under Atal Awas Yojna, he said. Some percentage of funds allocated by the municipalities in the urban areas will also be reserved for the women and the disabled, the CM assured. Dishing out more to mark the day, he said that the disabled will be preferred in auto- rickshaw and e-rickshaw schemes being run by the State government.
The CM exhorted the people to end the curse of disability from the roots and help the handicapped being entirely self-dependent. He instructed the officials present to organise state level fairs where the disabled, skilled in various trades, might participate along with their employers and placement agencies. Recruiters should offer jobs according to the skills of the handicapped there, CM said.
Due to lack of knowledge and information, the children turn physically weak right from their birth. "Some years following birth are crucial considering the development of physical structure. State Government has started many programmes to cater to the health of the mothers and the children. Weight of the mal-nourished children is measured on 5th day of every month at Aganbari Centres. Officials of Social Welfare, Health and other departments concerned would be present during the weight measuring programmes," he said.
CM Rawat invited the elite people to take care of at least one Aganbari Centre so as to enable the State government to achieve the target of child welfare. He also asked the officials to ensure people's participation in such multipurpose camps and set them up at the block levels. Rawat informed that reduction was being observed in MMR and IMR on account of the State government's schemes to provide two kg Mandua, one kg iodised salt and one kg black bhatt to the pregnant women.
"An empowered woman alone can make an empowered India and empowered society. We have started various schemes for birth, education, marriage, pregnancy and old age, meant to help the unprivileged, particularly the hard-pressed girls. Many schemes are being implemented for the welfare of disabled too like disabled pension, Teelu Rauteli pension, monetary aid for marriage of the handicapped, dwarf pension, allowance for handicapped children and free of cost travelling in UTC buses. Scholarship for the disabled is another of the major schemes envisaged by the State government," he said.
CM asked the officials concerned to ensure the assistance of big industries in Artificial Organ Distribution. He felicitated the skilled disabled employees, disabled players, self -employed handicapped, forefront recruiters and placement agencies which provided jobs to the disabled. He also distributed tools to the disabled on the occasion.
Cabinet Minister Surender Singh Negi asked for linking the disabled with employment to make them vibrant part of mainstream society. "We need to boost up their morale. Health Department is making disability certificates on the spot and the Social Welfare Department is approving disabled pension during the multipurpose camps," he added.