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Dumka, March 1: Dreams of the disabled of Deoghar district are ready to take flight.
A total of 40,049 physically challenged people have been identified for various benefits during a three-month drive under the ambitious programme Udaan, launched by the district administration in co-ordination with Deoghar unit of Red Cross Society last year.
All 10 blocks of the district were covered between October and January during a survey under Udaan, the brainchild of Deoghar DC Rahul Purwar. Now, the district administration is gearing up to extend benefits to registered persons, including physical aids to make their lives easier.
“The main objective is to make the physically challenged a part of the mainstream society so that they not only lead a dignified life, but also contribute significantly to the country’s development,” Purwar told The Telegraph.
To start with, 11 beneficiaries were provided hearing aids, artificial limbs etc on the concluding day of the national athletics championship for cerebral palsy yesterday.
The district administration had teamed up with Indian Sports Federation of Cerebral Palsy to host the event for the physically and mentally challenged. According to Purwar, the rest will be provided equipment, certificates and other facilities right at their doorstep through rural bodies.
“We don’t want them to come to the district headquarters to avail of the benefits as it would mean a lot of inconvenience,” he said.
A total of 9,046 people, who will get certificates of disability and another 3,256, will receive railway passes while 2,318 have been identified for the Swami Vivekananda disability pension. This apart, 873 people have been shortlisted for Indira Awas Yojana and Sido-Kanhu Awas Yojana, 253 for job cards, 363 for agricultural assistance, 268 for self-employment assistance and 78 for enrolment in the district employment exchange.
Many will get tricycles, wheelchairs, walking and blind sticks, artificial limbs etc.
“We wanted to ensure that the physically challenged people of a particular block are getting all government benefits. We will reach out to more people so that not a single disadvantaged person remains deprived. Special schools for the disabled and visually challenged are also on the anvil,” the DC added.
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