The Hindu : Central panel for the disabled soon, says Venkaiah Naidu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 11, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Central panel for the disabled soon, says Venkaiah Naidu

HYDERABAD, JAN.10. A Central commission for the welfare of the disabled will be set up by the Union Government in the next few days, the BJP president, M.Venkaiah Naidu, announced here on Saturday.

Speaking at the inaugural function of Maganti Jhansi Lakshmibai block of Durgabai Deshmukh Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Centre at the Andhra Mahila Sabha here, he said that the Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, had already approved of the proposal and the orders were expected to be issued in the next two or three days.

The commission, to be headed by a Chairman, would have seven members— two of whom would be permanent and the rest part time associates. It would also have two women members.

He said that the commission members would tour the entire country and assess the problems faced by the disabled and come out with guidelines for extending the necessary help to the disabled. It was the responsibility of the Government and the duty of society to support them.

Paying tributes to the Andhra Mahila Sabha, a voluntary organisation, set up by Durgabai Deshmukh, for the services rendered by it, he called upon others to emulate it.

Inaugurating the block, the Chief Minister, N.Chandrababu Naidu, wanted more such voluntary organisations to come forward and supplement the efforts of the Government in improving the lot of the disabled. Recounting the measures taken by his Government for the welfare of the disabled, he said that 3 per cent reservation for the disabled was being implemented in employment and educational institutions. Similarly, 3 per cent of the total budget allocated for each department was being spent on the welfare of the disabled. As many as 2746 backlog posts were also filled, he added.

He said that help was also being extended under the Cheyutha scheme during the Janmabhoomi programme.

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Andhra Pradesh