Dharwad district will soon get Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rehabilitation Centre (DDURC), a national sports complex and hostel, for persons with disabilities. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot made this announcement during a programme organised to distribute aids and assistive devices to those with disabilities at Kala Bhavan here on Tuesday.
Mr. Gehlot said that the DDURC being set up in every district would help the in getting persons with disabilities all the required devices and also provide skill development training programme for them.
The Union Minister said that if the district administration allotted 10 acres of land, then the government would set up a national-level sports centre in Dharwad, which would help in bringing out the talent among persons with disabilities. In a bid to convert persons with disabilities into assets of the nation, a series of skill development programmes have been initiated. During the period of the training, the candidates would get a stipend, he said.
Mr. Gehlot said that the Union government was contemplating on increasing the reservation quota for the physically challenged in the Union government departments from three per cent to five per cent. He said he would appeal to the State governments to increase quota in government recruitments.
Secretary of Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry Secretary Lov Verma said that the State governments had been asked to set up State Commissions for Physically Challenged on the lines of the Commission being set up at the Centre. He said that the government was working towards empowering the 2.5 crore physically challenged in the country, socially and financially.
