Our Reporter
Dimapur, May 20 (EMN): The Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Virendra Kumar, who arrived in Dimapur on Friday, stressed on the need to help persons with disabilities (PwDs), needy students and senior citizens.
He joined a camp at Kiphire district via a video conference at Niathu Resort in Chumoukedima, wherein assistive devices like wheelchair, hearing aid, smart cane etc. were distributed to divyangjans (PwDs) and senior citizens. The event was organised under Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase / Fitting of Aids and Appliances and Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (ADIP/RVY) schemes of the Ministry.
Kumar asked the officials to continue helping the disabled citizens as well as reach out to schools and provide equipment and aids to students in need. He added that the ministry children aged up to two in surgery for hearing impairment and 4000 such surgeries had been done across the country so far.
He also asked the officials to identify senior citizens who need aid and deliver equipment to those who couldn’t attend Friday’s event.
The executive engineer of PWD, Road and Bridges, Kiphire district, updated during the meeting with officials that total of 10 bridges were sanctioned under Kiphire district in 2019, out of which seven had been completed and three in progress with 77.8% of work completed.
A representative of Public Health Engineering Department on Jal Jeevan Mission Scheme implemented under Kiphire Division updated that there are 14,991 households and as on may 19, 2022, total household connection is 9889.
Some of the challenges presented by the Kiphire District Education Officer are: non deployment of sufficient officers and teachers; PFMS is introduced in all transactions under Samagra Shiksha, but the funds sanctioned from Kohima is delayed, thus causing difficulty in making transactions; and lack of building and facilities.
As per the tour programme, the union minister will meet BJP party workers and visit integrated rehabilitation centre for the addicts, granted by ministry of social justice and empowerment in Dimapur on May 21, before leaving for New Delhi.