Karnataka - Madikeri   

Disabled people yet to get free sites

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI, JAN. 17. The Minister of State for Muzrai and district in-charge, Suma Vasant, on Saturday called upon the authorities concerned to launch a movement to identify and bring disabled persons into the mainstream.

She was speaking at a function here organised by the Department for the Disabled Welfare to mark World Disabled Day.

It was imperative that society changed its mindset and adopted a positive approach towards the disabled, she said and added that what they required was an opportunity to excel and not compassion.

Ms. Vasant exhorted non-governmental organisations to supplement the efforts of the Government to ensure that the schemes for the disabled achieved their objective. She said 4.6 per cent of the State's population comprised people with disabilities. The Government was committed to ensure their welfare.

The Minister said the district health office coming under the zilla panchayat should be given the responsibility of identifying and helping disabled persons. The District Surgeon was entrusted with the job.

Calling upon the Social Welfare Department to organise such programmes in the rural areas of the district, Ms. Vasant called upon the officials concerned to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reached the disabled persons. Gram panchayats could identify such persons in their limits and help them to avail of the various benefits. Ms. Vasant said the disabled should be apprised of government schemes such as "Aadhara".

The convener of the Karnataka Association of the Disabled, D.K. Suresh Kumar, lamented that disabled persons were still a "despised lot". The State Government was yet to implement the Disabled Rights Act of 1996, he said. Earlier, the president of the district unit of the association, Somnath, inaugurated the function.

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