Assam: Assistive devices distributed to persons with disabilities and senior citizens in Hailakandi
Hailakandi
Scores of persons with disabilities and senior citizens were distributed aids and Assistive devices here in Hailakandi of Assam on Wednesday.
Distributing the assistive devices to disabled persons and senior citizens below the poverty line under Assistance to Disabled Persons and Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana at the Samayik Adhikarita Shivir at Rabindra Bhawan auditorium, Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli called upon the persons with disabilities and senior citizens to make use of the assistive devices provided by the government to the optimum level to lead an active life and to make progress in society.
Jalli said that screening camps were conducted in all the five development blocks of the district last year to help identify the persons with disabilities and senior citizens.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the administration is working on simplifying the process regarding issuance of disability certificates as it takes considerable time. Jalli further said that simplifying the module pertaining to citizen-centric governance would be looked into ‘as the government and administration are focused on improving service delivery levels’.
Speaking on the occasion, Additional Deputy Commissioner, RK Dam said various schemes have been initiated by the government to provide assistive devices to the disabled persons so that they can forge ahead in society. He appealed to the people to come forward and provide moral support to the persons with disabilities who have great potential and capacity to contribute to the welfare of society.
Social activists Kamrul Islam Laskar, Ajmaluddin Choudhury, Samsuddin Borlaskar and Narayan Debnath, in their address, called upon the society to ensure persons with disabilities enjoy the right to equality, dignity, and respect for his or her own integrity equally with others.
Representative of Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), a PSU working under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Jitendra Kumar Sahu said altogether 703 beneficiaries have been identified out of which 387 are persons with disabilities and 316 elderly persons in the screening camps conducted in all the development blocks of the district from October 28 to November 1 last year.
Earlier, District Social Welfare Officer, J.Daimary, while explaining the objective of the meeting, said that 185 disabled and senior citizens of only Hailakandi block would be given away aids and equipment in today’s ceremonial function while the rest would be carried out block-wise in due course of time.
Under the schemes, beneficiaries were distributed aids and assistive devices such as wheel chairs, tricycles, crutches, cerebral palsy chairs, smart canes, smart phones, walking sticks and digital hearing aids.
The ceremonial distribution function was organised by implementing agency ALIMCO in close association with the Hailakandi district administration.
