A Sensory Park at Kurnool, Braille printing press at Guntur and Regional Centre for Rehabilitation of Physically Challenged in Nellore district are among the facilities the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will set up in Andhra Pradesh.
This was announced by Union Minster for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot here on Saturday.
The State Government had agreed to allot land for the Regional Centre for Rehabilitation of Physically Challenged.
Eleven districts in the State would have District Disability Rehabilitation Centres.
“At the Sensory Park the arrangements are such that the visually challenged, hearing impaired and physically challenged would sense the flowers, colours, etc. of a park,” the Union Minster said.
Zonal Sports Complex
For the multi-crore Zonal Sports Complex sanctioned to the city, the State Government would have to allot land, he said.
Asked on the necessity for increasing accommodation for girl students, particularly on Andhra University campus, the Union Minister said that funds would be released for providing facilities to the SCs, OBCs, physically challenged and other eligible sections.
The university should, however, make a representation to the Ministry.
The Ministry would also provide funds for providing lifts, ramps and toilets at public utility places such as hospitals and bus stations for making them accessible to physically challenged persons.
The Collectorate and District Courts Complex here were sanctioned lift and ramps.
The budget allocation for the Ministry was Rs. 6,500 crore under social justice wing and Rs. 565 crore for physically challenged rehabilitation section.
Visakhapatnam MP K. Haribabu lauded the Ministry for brining out a compendium of its schemes and programmes for people to understand what it was doing and what help they could get.
Mr. Gehlot said the Indian team had won 33 medals at the Asian Para Olympics held in South Korea recently. India beat Pakistan in the final of World Cup cricket tournament for the blind.
International para sports meet
The Government was planning to host an international para sports meet by spending Rs. 20 crore, he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Special Correspondent / Visakhapatnam – February 15th, 2015