Source: Hueiyen News Service / Manipur Information Centre
New Delhi, December 03 2008:
THE DEPUTY Commissioner of Imphal East District Y Thamkishore Singh and the Secretary General of Re-creation, a voluntary agency (Spastic Society of Manipur) Laishram Tokendra Ricky received the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 2008 from the Vice-President of India Md Hamid Ansari in the solemn ceremony held at Plenary Hall of Vigyan Bhavan today, on the occasion of International Day of Disabled Persons.
This year's National Award in the category of Best District in Providing Rehabilitation Services went to two districts namely, Imphal East District in Manipur and Ujjain District in Madhya Pradesh.
In the citation, it stated that the District Disabilities Rehabilitation Centre, Imphal East District had been covering all aspects of rehabilitation of persons with disabilities since 2001.Despite the difficult nature of the task in the region; therapeutic and other services such as distribution of aids and appliances, training and issue of disability certificates were provided to several thousand persons.
Imphal East District had set an example to be emulated by the rest of the region, it added.
After receiving the award, the Deputy Commissioner of Imphal East District Thamkishore Singh expressed that he received the National Award being the Chairman of the District Disability Rehabilitation Centre.
He would like to give the credit for the award to all members particularly NGOs of the Centre who worked with sincerity and dedication for the cause of disabled persons.
The award carried a shield, a citation and a certificate.
He said, "The main objective of the Centre is to bring the persons with disabilities into the normal life.
Discrimination of disabled persons from the society has been totally banned under the Disabilities Act.
We are at present working for rehabilitation of four categories of persons with disabilities namely locomotor disabilities, visually impaired, deaf-dumb-mute and mentally retarded" .
This year's National Award for Best Institution went to Blind People's Association (India) of Gujarat and five additional national awards were given to five institutions including Re-creation, a voluntary agency (Spastic Society of Manipur) of Moirangkhom Sougaijam Leirak Imphal in Manipur.
In the citation, it stated that the organization, formed in 1987 with the objective of empowering women and children established the Spastic Society of Manipur to provide facilities for early identification, early intervention, habilitation and education to children with cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities.
The special achievements of the organization included the establishment of a comprehensive centre for cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities and large scale training programmes for teachers, parents and grass root workers.
The programmes of the organization covered several thousand beneficiaries, it added.
The Secretary General of Re-creation Laishram Tokendra Ricky said that the service of the organization covered the whole State of Manipur.
They conducted programmes in the far flung hill areas in Jiribam sub-division, Churachandpur District and Senapati District.
The award carried a cash amount of Rs 25,000/-, a citation and a certificate.
With a view to recognizing those who have helped the persons with disabilities to lead a better life through their sincere and dedicated service, the Government of India through the ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has been giving National Awards in the filed of disability in different categories numbering a total of 59 awards every year since 1969 to the outstanding individuals and institutions working for the welfare of persons with disabilities.