Bhubaneswar: For the benefit of the physically challenged persons, the Odisha government has expedited the steps for construction of Integrated Infrastructure Complexes (IICs) in all 30 districts in a phased manner.
Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena said this while inaugurating a regional workshop on “Status of People with Disabilities (PwDs) and Road to Inclusive Development” in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. The IICs would be constructed by the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) and the work has been started for 10 districts with financial outlay in first phase, he said.
Jena said the State Institute of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SIEP) under the SSEPD department has state-of-the-art facilities for persons with disabilities. In recently held secretary-level meeting, the welfare of differently-abled persons was discussed. All secretaries will visit (SIEP) and other institutions working for the welfare of persons with disabilities to study their ground situation and problems, he added.
“Just as zero casualty in disaster management, the government is focusing on the facilities of the differently abled and will make a lot of changes in their lives by continuing with more efforts to meet their needs in the coming days. Welfare of the disabled will be our mission to take into a higher level by coordinating between political leaders and the bureaucracy,” he said.
As many as 70 participants from five eastern states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal, representing 21 kinds of disabilities, participated in the workshop. Supported by National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), New Delhi, the programme was organised by ‘Swabhiman’.
Speaking on the occasion, Arman Ali, Honorary Director, NCPEDP said Odisha has won accolades in fields like natural disaster management, investment and setting up industries including sports. He suggested that para sports should be given importance along with facilities for education, employment and access to all sectors for persons with disabilities. Bratati Harichandan, Director, SSEPD, Odisha also spoke.
The founder and CEO of Swabhimaan, Shruti Mohapatra said the 2030 Agenda to ‘Leave no one behind’ and to “endeavor to reach the furthest behind first” emphasises that all people should have access to equitable and accessible education, employment, and health services. She also proposed to collect special data on persons with disabilities in the upcoming census in all states, including Odisha, and sought cooperation of all the states to bring it to the notice of the Central government.
In second session, the founder and member secretary of CYSD, Jagdananda and other delegates from the participating states expressed their views. A book on “Way Forward to 2030” was released on the occasion.
