Provide equal opportunities to disabled: Kokje

Shimla, Dec 3 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Governor V S Kokje today stressed upon the need to bring specially challenged people into the mainstream of the society, saying that they should be provided equal opportunities.

Speaking in the state level function on the World Disabled Day here, he said a sum of Rs 640 lakh were being spent on providing disability relief allowance at the rate of Rs 200 per month to 25,416 disabled people annually in the state.

He said Himachal Pradesh Minority Corporation was also providing loans at cheap rates to the disabled for starting their self-employment ventures.

The special employment cell had also been set up in employment office to facilitate them, he said.

Mr Kokje said that a vocational rehabilitation centre was being run in Una district besides a regional rehabilitation centre in Sundernagar for welfare of the disabled.

District Disability Rehabilitation Centres were also being run at Hamirpur, Dharamsala and Shimla, he said.

He said the institutions for deaf and dumb and blind children at Dhali and Sundernagar had been upgraded upto tenth standard.

Equal opportunities in social, educational and economic fields should be ensured to the disabled in order to instill confidence in them, he added.

On the occasion, he also gave away prizes to the disabled children who had won Gold and Bronze medals in the 12th Special Olympics World Summer Sports at Shanghai in China this year, besides winners of various other sporting events.

UNI