Gehlot distributes life assisting equipment among physically challenged in U'khand

Union Minister Thavar Chand Gehlot today distributed life assisting equipment to 450 physically challenged senior citizens in Haridwar and said the Centre had launched at least 100 welfare schemes meant to improve their lives.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the central government has started more than 100 welfare schemes through which old Divyangs are being empowered," Gehlot said.

In the last four years, equipment worth Rs 600 crore have been distributed among 11 lakh Divyangs of the country and 70,000 camps have been organised for them, the social justice and empowerment minister said.

Rashtriya Vayoshree scheme, under which the programme was held today at Rishikesh maidan was started last year in which 260 districts of the country including Haridwar have been chosen.

Under this scheme, a total of 43,000 old Divyangs have been given equipment as per their requirement. More than 80 per cent of the Divyangs have been provided with motorized tri-cycles, he said.

Till date 5500 deserving people have been given motorised tri-cycles. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment provides Divyangs with wheel chairs, tri-cycles, crutches, hearing aids, spectacles, laptop to students and smart phone, Gehlot said.

He said another camp will be held in Haridwar soon, so that maximum number of people from the district could be benefitted.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat who also attended the event thanked the prime minister and Gehlot for their efforts and including Uttarakhand in every welfare scheme of the Union government as a special case.

Rawat said it has to be ensured that the benefits of the schemes launched by the central government reach maximum number of people.