RSS
KATHMANDU, Dec. 3: The Eleventh International Disabled day was observed with various programmes here today.A rally taken out by the International Disabled Day organising committee from Basantpur carrying awareness placards concerning the disabled passed by New Road and Bir Hospital and culminated in a mass meeting on reaching Ratna Park.
Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Gore Bahadur Khapangi, Assistant Minister Anuradha Koirala and other persons associated with social and national life participated in the rally initiated by Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation and Land Reforms and Management Badri Narayan Busnet.
Addressing the mass meeting, Minister Basnet said that the relief package concerning the disabled announced by HMG will be of great help to them.
Minister Khapangi expressed commitment to render services, extend cooperation and provide facilities and opportunities and conduct programmes for the accessibility of the disabled to communications and said that he would extend all possible cooperation to activate the Disabled Act.
Assistant Minister Koirala said that understanding has been reached to reserve a seat in each of the buses operated by ‘Makalu’ and ‘Agni’ transport services and provide concessions of up to fifty per cent for the disabled in bus fare.
President of the Disabled Federation of Nepal Munishwar Panday presided over the mass meeting which was also addressed by Ganesh Prasad Upadhyaya, Dipak Kumar Shakya, Hiramani Bhandari and representatives of various institutions and organisations.
On the same occasion, Minister Khapangi presented the disabled talent prize to various persons.
Those receiving the disabled talent prize of Rs. 10,001 are Shrikanta Sapkota of Kaski, Poshan Khakurel of Kabhre and Shiva Ram Karki of Ramechhap while those receiving the disabled teachers prize of Rs. 5,001 are Rupa Rai of Kailali, Kiran Acharya of Sindhuli and Krishna Bhakta Amatya of Mahottari.
On the same occasion, scholarships, orthopaedic appliances (artificial limbs), wheelchairs and tricycles were provided to 27 disabled.
Litterateur Vijaya Bajimaya, Chandra Kumar Bhattarai, Dr. Laxmi Narayan Prasad, Srikant Sapkota, Rupa Rai and Jyoti Pyakurel also expressed their views at the programme chaired by committee chairman Taranath Koirala.
Speakers at the programme expressed the view that the disabled should also reach the policy formulation and decision making levels and the law formulated for the disabled was itself disabled.