HP committed for the welfare for the disabled, says CM

Shimla, Sep 10 (UNI) Reiterating its resolve for the welfare of the disabled, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said his government will set up joint homes for the disabled and the elderly to provide them boarding and lodging facilities.

Addressing the second meeting of the Disabled Welfare Board here, he said the government had already set up a joint home for the elderly and the disabled at Dari near Dharamshala.

Mr Singh said his government was providing free education to the disabled at the highest, level besides providing scholarship between Rs 150 to Rs 450 every month to them. The scholarship amount to a disabled hostelr was between Rs 300 to Rs 900, he added.

Free education facilities were also being provided to the disabled in the ITIs, polytechnics and other vocational courses, he said.

Besides, Mr Singh said the State government was spending a sum of Rs six crore every year on providing all facilities to the identified 25,416 disabled.

He said the disabled were also being provided three per cent reservation in government jobs and the process of filling up of all vacant posts in the government departments was also being expedited.

The Chief Minister, however, warned of strict action against those people possessing fake disabled certificates and said the government would not allow the misuse of meagre welfare funds earmarked for the disabled.

The government was also considering a proposal to set up a rehabilitation centre near here equipped with modern facilities, for the mentally challenged, he said.

He also called upon the private bus operators to supplement the government's endeavour by ferrying the disabled, the elderly and the freedom fighters to their respective destinations throughout the State free of cost as part of their social responsibility.

UNI