Published On : Mon, Jul 4th, 2016

CM’s ‘carry forward’ move, NIEPMD Centre to start in city soon

Advertisement

NIEPMD
Nagpur:
In a development that many would term as “Carry forward UPA Government’s decision,” the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that a Regional Centre of National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) will be started in Nagpur soon. “The Central Government has approved a fund of Rs 50 crore for the Centre. The State Government is also formulating a policy for divyang persons,” Fadnavis stated adding the NIEPMD Centre in city will be under the direct control of Chennai Centre.

It is pertinent to recall that Nagpur Today scribe Rajiv Ranjan Kushwaha, who as a member of General Council of National Institute for Mentally Handicapped (NIMH), had taken painstaking efforts and pursued the matter with UPA Government to set up a Regional Centre of NIEPMD in Nagpur for the benefit of thousands of mentally and physically handicapped persons of the Orange City, Vidarbha and neighbouring States. Kushwaha’s efforts of five years had bore fruits and the National Institute for Mentally Handicapped (NIMH) had decided to open the Regional Centre of National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) in Nagpur.

The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in a sort of “carry forward” exercise and an attempt to hog credit, has announced starting of the NIEPMD Regional Centre in Nagpur soon.

In a meeting held at city’s Hyderabad House, Fadnavis said the Centre will be country’s 8th Centre. The The Regional Centre of NIEPMD will strive for making the poor divyang persons self-sufficient by providing them artificial limbs.

The Nodal Officer of the Centre, K Amarnath, elaborated the activities of NIEPMD. Present on the occasion include Secretary Surendrakumar Bagde, Commissioner Nitin Dhage, Deputy Commissioner Madhav Zod and other officials.

Notably, in the month of March, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawarchand Gehlot, attending a function held at Reshimbagh Ground, had announced setting up of the the Centre. The Regional Centre of NIEPMD will need five acres of land. A proposal to allot four and half acres of land of TB Ward, coming under GMCH, was sent to the concerned authorities. The land was approved on temporary basis. The Government is committed to making sure that every physically disabled person is equipped with devices and aids as per their requirement, the Minister had said.

It may be mentioned here that Nagpur Today had carried a report titled ‘Nagpur Today scribe Kushwaha’s efforts bear fruits as NIEPMD Regional Centre to be in city’ wherein it was reported that in a significant development that will prove a blessing for thousands of mentally and physically handicapped persons of the Orange City, Vidarbha and neighbouring States, the National Institute for Mentally Handicapped (NIMH) has decided to open the Regional Centre of National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) in Nagpur. This information was provided by the Chief of NIEPMD and the President/Chairman of NIMH General Council and Secretary (Disabilities Division) Stuti Kacker. The tireless efforts of Nagpur Today journalist Rajiv Ranjan Kushwaha, who is also the Member of General Council of National Institute for Mentally Handicapped (NIMH), and his sustained pursuit of demand since five years for opening the Regional Centre of NIMH in Nagpur, have bore fruits.

The Nagpur resident Kushwaha had sent letters to President of India Pranab Mukherjee, Lok Sabha Speaker Meera Kumar, Central Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Kumari Selja, and the then Central Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik and now Congress General Secretary for soliciting their support to his demand for opening the NIMH Regional Centre in Nagpur.

Read: Nagpur Today scribe Kushwaha’s efforts bear fruits as NIEPMD Regional Centre to be in city