The Deputy Prime Minister
Shri L. K. Advani has said that the progress of the weakest
person in society should be the measure for nation’s development.
Unveiling a double the life size statue of Pandit Deen Dayal
Upadhaya at the National Institute of Physically Handicapped
here today, Shri Advani said that the institutions which educate
persons who are socially, economically or physically weak,
deserve special attention and praise. He said persons with
disabilities have a role in development and as such are an
important constituent of society. Shri Advani said that Pandit
Deen Dayal Upadhaya was not only a great thinker and a visionary
but also a great humanist. He said that Panditji was always
concerned about the welfare of the last person in society.
Shri Advani said naming the Institute after him is most appropriate
in view of the services being rendered by it.
Presiding over the function
the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Satyanarayan
Jatiya announced that the Ministry proposes to set up a National
Multi-Disability Institute and a Rehabilitation Science College
for promoting research and trained manpower in the disability
sector. Dr. Jatiya said provision of facilities for empowering
persons with disabilities is a specialized job that requires
trained manpower. He said that it is the Ministry’s endeavour
to provided free aids and appliances to 8 lakh persons with
disabilities during the 10th Plan as against 4.5
lakh beneficiaries covered during the 9th Plan.
Dr. Jatiya said that voluntary action has an important role
in reaching the disabled. He said that the Social Justice
and Empowerment Ministry is assisting more than six hundred
NGOs in the disability sector.
. The Minister of State
for Urban Development and Poverty Elevation (I/C) Shri Bandaru
Dattatreya said that more land would be allotted to the Institute
in order to expand its services. He said that it is the endeavour
of his Ministry to make public places barrier free.
The Minister of State
for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Nagmani said that
a number of seminars would be organised in state capitals
to generate awareness about the programmes and schemes being
run for the weaker sections. He said the first seminar of
its kind would be organised in Patna on September 25, 2003.
The Deputy Prime Minister
gave away appliances and aids to twelve physically challenged
persons including women and children on the occasion. The
Secretary Shri B.S.Baswan and other senior officers of the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment were present during
the function.
The Institute was renamed
as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhaya National Institute of Physically
Handicapped in 2002. It has rendered 40 years of meritorious
service in manpower development in the fields of Physiotherapy,
Occupational Therapy and in the development and application
of prosthetics as well as orthotics for rehabilitation of
persons with locomotor disabilities. The Institute has so
far produced nearly 1500 graduates in Physiotherapy and Occupational
Therapy. It has also helped a large number of persons with
disabilities with aids and appliances and social and psychological
counseling. It provides outreach services in Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Besides this,
the institute also runs an integrated Special School upto
4th standard for Children with locomotor disabilities.
