Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot distributed free-of-cost assistive aids and appliances to divyangjanas at Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh today.

A mega camp was organised at the Dorjee Khandu State Convention Center for distribution of free-of-cost assistive aids and appliances under the central government’s Assistance to Disabled Persons to Purchase/Fitting Aids & Appliances scheme. 957 identified differently abled people and old people were given away various appliances as per their requirements.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gehlot said, his Ministry has conducted 7015 such camps in these four years, where more than 11 lakh differently abled people were provided aids and appliances with a total cost of 630 crore rupees.

He said, Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing every possible effort to uplift the social and economic status of the divyangjans in the country. The union Minister said that 46,000 divyangjans were given skill development training in 17 different trades across the country.

He informed that government is giving financial assistance of 6 lakh rupees to hearing impaired children under the age of 5 to 6 years for koklear implant and about 1200 children have undergone successful operation so far . He also said that government has started an initiative to provide a universal identity card for the divyangjans, through which they can avail any government schemes at any part of the country.

MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju and Chief Minister Pema Khandu were also present on the occasion.