Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virender Kumar, visited the construction site of the permanent premises of the Composite Regional Centre (CRC) for Skill Development, Rehabilitation & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), CRC Jammu, at Village Chak Jawala, Vijaypur in District Samba of Jammu Province in Jammu & Kashmir, to review the progress of the ongoing construction work.
Constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs 24 crore, the permanent premises are expected to significantly enhance the availability of rehabilitation and support services in the region, helping persons with disabilities lead more independent and dignified lives.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Virender Kumar said that the permanent premises would strengthen CRC Jammu’s institutional capacity and expand access to rehabilitation, education and support services for persons with disabilities across the region. He noted that the Centre was currently operating on a limited scale in Jammu city and that the new facility would enable it to broaden its services.
The Hon’ble Minister was accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, including Shri Rajeev Sharma, Joint Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan).
During the visit, Dr. Rohnika Sharma, Director, CRC Jammu, briefed the Hon’ble Minister on the progress of construction, the status of work completed so far and the activities remaining to be undertaken. She also apprised him of the infrastructure-related requirements and key aspects concerning the timely completion and operationalisation of the permanent premises.
Dr. Sharma also apprised the Union Minister of the infrastructure requirements and other aspects concerning timely completion of the project. Once operational, the facility is expected to support rehabilitation, special education, early intervention, skill development and empowerment initiatives for Divyangjan.
The visit provided an opportunity to assess the ongoing construction work and review the measures required to expedite the remaining activities.
The Hon’ble Minister emphasised the importance of timely completion of the project and the availability of appropriate infrastructure to facilitate the effective delivery of services to Divyangjan.
He added that the establishment of the permanent premises of CRC Jammu marks an important step towards strengthening rehabilitation services, special education, early intervention, skill development and empowerment initiatives for persons with disabilities in the Jammu region.
The Minister further said the Centre is intended to support the delivery of rehabilitation-related services and facilitate access to appropriate interventions and skill development opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Dr Kumar said the Centre would provide physiotherapy and specialised training for children with disabilities to help them become self-reliant. Training for parents and caregivers would also be facilitated so that they can better support children with disabilities.
He added that a Pradhan Mantri Divyasha Kendra would be established at the Centre to facilitate access to assistive devices. Disability-related courses, including B.Ed. and M.Ed. programmes, are also planned, which would create educational opportunities and enhance employment prospects for youth trained in disability rehabilitation and empowerment, he added.
The Minister said the laboratory facilities for the measurement, manufacture and fitting of customised artificial limbs and other assistive devices would be developed at the Centre. These facilities are expected to help beneficiaries perform daily activities with greater ease and independence, he added.
Emphasising inclusive development, Dr. Kumar said that empowering persons with disabilities was integral to the vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ and the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He observed that CRC Jammu would address the long-standing need for a comprehensive rehabilitation facility in the Jammu region, bringing disability-related services closer to beneficiaries, from children to senior citizens.
The Minister further said that supporting persons with disabilities would also strengthen their families and enable them to contribute more actively to society and the nation’s development.
The review reaffirmed the importance of completing the infrastructure project in a timely manner to strengthen the institutional capacity for providing rehabilitation and empowerment services to Divyangjan in Jammu & Kashmir.
It is pertinent to mention that CRC Jammu functions under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, through Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Institute for Persons with Physical Disabilities (PDUNIPPD), New Delhi.