Ahmedabad : The state will get a national level skill development institution for disabled people. It will also be the starting point for the central government’s universal i-card project for the disabled people.
These were some of the few announcements made at the national level workshop on accessible India and accessibility index launched by department of empowerment of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The event was attended by Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel, Union minister for social justice and empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot, MoS of the same ministry Krishan Pal Gurjar and cabinet minister of social justice in government of Gujarat Ramanlal Vora along with senior department officials.
Vora proposed a national level institution in Gujarat for skill development and training of persons with disabilities. The proposal was accepted by Gehlot on the spot. Gurjar announced that the pilot project for universal identity cards for persons with disabilities, will be valid across India, would be launched in 11 states which would start from Gujarat. The ministers added that they were taking cochlear implant project for 30,000 kids across the country on a priority basis.
Gujarat CM outlined various projects launched by the state government and asked the disabled people to approach her for any issues in implementation.
The state officials said that like their counterparts in other states, they were sure to miss the deadline for retrofitting of the government offices in selected cities. The deadline was set for July 2016 by which the state government was supposed to identify and upgrade at least 50 government offices in Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara and at least 25 offices in Gandhinagar. The municipal corporations have recently been given the list of the selected buildings for the purpose, an official said.
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