Empowering the disabled govt priority: Samina Arif Alvi

Inclusion of women imperative for nation’s progress: Samina

LAHORE, Feb 03 (APP):First Lady Mrs Samina Arif Alvi Thursday said that it was a priority of the government to empower the persons with special abilities.

She was presiding over a meeting on the issues related to the disabled persons at the Governor’s House here.


Wife of Governor Punjab Parveen Sarwar, Social Welfare and Baitul Maal (SW&BM) Secretary Sumaira Samad, Punjab Social Protection Authority Chief Executive Officer Toseef Dilshad Khatana, SW&BM Director General Pervaiz Iqbal Butt, representatives of various departments and differently-abled person were also present.


Samina Alvi said that the disabled children should be urged to get themselves registered with the government departments for getting maximum facilities, adding that all departments should coordinate for assessment and inclusion of the disabled persons in the system.


She said that all facilities provided by Prime Minister Imran Khan to the disabled persons should be put into practice, adding that the disabled should have easy access to all facilities in every field. She said that NADRA should ensure availability of smart cards for persons with disabilities, adding that the disabled should have access to all scientific and medical facilities.


She said: “We all have to work together to make the disabled person active members of society.”
SW&BM Secretary Sumaira Samad told the meeting that the Punjab government would table a bill in the Punjab Assembly for provision of special facilities to the disabled at educational institutions and other department, which would be helpful to solve their problems.


PSPA CEO Toseef Dilshad Khatana said that the department had collected data of 355,000 disabled persons across the province, adding that the Punjab government would disburse Rs 3,000 per month among needy and poor disabled persons.


He said that the PSPA, with the coordination of the Special Education Department, would provide assessment devices to differently-abled persons, adding that the disabled should approach the department and get themselves registered.


Special Education Director General said that there were 303 institutes across the province in which 38,000 disabled students were getting education, adding that the Special Education Department had provided disability certificates to all students in the institutions.


He said that the department was providing free education, transport, skill training to the disabled persons, adding that it had set up stitching units in some institution of the provincial capital in which the local companies would provide practical training to the disabled.


Some persons with disabilities also expressed their concerns to the First Lady, who issued orders to resolve them immediately.


Later, heads of various NGOs including LABARD also met the First Lady Mrs Samina Alvi. Various suggestions regarding the problems faced by the persons with disabilities and their solutions were also discussed.

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