Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that disabled people have boundless inherent talent, emphasising the need for nurturing that talent and giving it a platform to flourish. He added that society and the government must encourage and support them, as they rightfully expect it from both entities.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the state-level three-day Divine Arts and Skills exhibition organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities at Yogiraj Baba Gambhirnath Auditorium, CM Yogi said,

“With this spirit, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the double-engine government is becoming a support for the differently abled and taking them on the path of respect and self-reliance.”

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Boosting the self-confidence of the differently abled people, he remarked,

“If an individual grapples with a particular deficiency, it’s noteworthy that God often provides compensatory gifts. The sagacious Maharishi Ashtavakra, a guiding light through the Upanishads, the illustrious poet Surdas, who beautifully depicted the Leelas of Lord Krishna in medieval verses, and contemporaneously, figures like Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and the renowned scientist Stephen Hawking stand as compelling testimony to this phenomenon.”

He added further that, through the exhibition, he has the opportunity to see the talent of the disabled people more closely.

CM Yogi Adityanath said that Uttar Pradesh is the land of God’s incarnation. He stated,

“Probably this is the first state in the country where two universities- Dr Shakuntala Mishra Rehabilitation University, Lucknow and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Divyang University, Chitrakoot–are running at the government level. Many such works have been started at the government level which will empower the differently abled.”

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Referring to his visits to the schools for the Deaf and Dumb in Gorakhpur and for the visually impaired, CM Yogi said that he often visits and inspects institutions dedicated to the well-being of the differently abled in order to improve the infrastructure in these institutions, overcome the shortage of teachers, and connect them with technology.

The Chief Minister said that at present, 10.40 lakh differently abled people in UP are being given a monthly pension of Rs 1,000. He pointed out that the government increased the pension amount from Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 and plans to increase it even further in near future.

He said that instructions have also been given to run a campaign to ensure that no disabled person is deprived of ration card, housing, pension and education. In addition, motorised tricycles will be provided to all school-going disabled persons, he informed.

The Chief Minister said that at present more than 11,000 lepers in the state are receiving a monthly pension of Rs 3,000, adding that instructions have been given to compulsorily provide housing facilities to such people under the Chief Minister Housing Scheme.

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Besides, 15.53 lakh differently abled people are covered under Ayushman Yojana, he said, adding that the government is also providing Rs 6 lakh for cochlear implants. A total of 21 special schools, 18 childhood day care centres, as well as three shelters homes for the mentally challenged are also being run in the state for the ‘divyang’, he informed further.

CM Yogi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has deliberately removed the word ‘handicapped’ and given the word ‘Divyangjan’ to describe the differently abled because God has bestowed on them a special power. If they become self-reliant and empowered, the entire society is empowered, he remarked. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also congratulated everyone on the consecration ceremony of Lord Shri Ram Lalla in his grand temple in Ayodhya.

The Chief Minister also distributed 100 tricycles and 30 motorised tricycles along with assistive devices such as crutches, hearing aids and smart canes to the differently abled on the occasion. CM Yogi flagged off the rally of those who received these gifts.

CM Yogi also visited the stalls at the Divine Art and Skills Exhibition to have a look at the excellent products and artefacts made by the differently abled persons from different districts of the state. He also interacted with some of them who could hear and speak. A melodious presentation of Sunderkand by one of the Divyangjans, the Food Court showcasing mouth-watering dishes made by the different abled, and the paintings created by them were the key attractions of the exhibition.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also honoured the Gold Medalist in Badminton at the Deaflympics in Brazil Aditya Yadav, Deaf Cricket national team player Akash Saini, Judo national player and Gold Medalist Rati Mishra, and State Award winner Mansi Gupta in painting as disabled icons. He also honoured differently-abled Kaun Banega Crorepati winner Himani Bundela and National Judo Championship gold medalist Anita Gautam. On this occasion, the students of Touch and Blind School welcomed the Chief Minister with a wonderful musical presentation.

During his tour of the exhibition, at one of the stalls, a visually impaired Muslim youth named Alam recited a chaupai from Shri Ram Charit Manas, which made him emotional. CM praised him and congratulated him.

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Also present on the occasion were MP Ravi Kishan Shukla, Principal Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Subhash Chandra Sharma, District Panchayat President Sadhna Singh, Mayor Dr. Manglesh Srivastava, MLA Vipin Singh, Rajesh Tripathi, BJP District President Yudhishthir Singh and Metropolitan President Rajesh Gupta among others.