Majuli: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar on Wednesday distributed free aids and assistive devices to 807 differently abled people here to empower them.
Speaking at a ‘Samajik Adhikarita Shivir’ programme, the chief minister said, “It has been a constant endeavour of the government to reach out to the differently abled people for social, economic and vocational rehabilitation because we believe that their empowerment will lead to overall development of our State.”
He said that Assam has sizeable population of 4.5 lakh differently abled people and his government has decided to provide them Rs 5000 each as medical allowance every year.
He also said that from next year his government would give Rs 1000 to each of on a monthly basis.
The Chief Minister speaking about the development of Majuli, Asia’s largest river island and his constituency said that in the coming years, all the wooden bridges of Majuli would be converted into concrete bridges.
Hospitals and educational institutions would be revamped, he said.
Organic industries set up, he said.
Sonowal also said that a permanent office of the Brahmaputra Board would be set up to ensure effective implementation of flood management and erosion protection works in Majuli.
Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Krishan Pal Gurjar said the Centre is committed to the welfare of the differently abled persons and that his ministry has been taking steps to reach out to them for their capacity building and the selection of Majuli for distribution of aids and assistive devices bear testimony to that.
Among the modern contemporary aids and assistive devices that were distributed in the camp were daisy players, smart canes, smart phones, tricycles, wheelchairs, crutches axilla, walking sticks and braille kits.
The programme was organized by ALIMCO, Government of Assam and Majuli district administration.