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Committed to providing equal opportunities, protect rights of differently abled: Sinha
Sinha said the administration was committed to creating an environment that provides equal opportunities and protects the rights of persons with disabilities
Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha and Union minister of social justice and empowerment Virendra Kumar on Thursday inaugurated Jammu and Kashmir’s first festival of inclusion, “Purple Fest”. Sinha said the administration was committed to creating an environment that provides equal opportunities and protects the rights of divyangjan or persons with disabilities.
The festival is aimed at showcasing a kaleidoscope of “abilities hidden inside disabilities and celebrating resilience of ‘divyangjan’.”
The festival was also a call for action to the people and exhort the society to take proactive steps in creating a more inclusive environment, officials said. The Union minister had joined the function virtually. Member of Parliament from Jammu, Jugal Kishore Sharma was present at the event.
On the occasion, Sinha said that in many areas of life, be it music, films, sports, art or literature, persons with disabilities have achieved success and greater goals and today, they were inspiring the entire society. He added many such great personalities have proved that they have no less capability than anyone else but they have special abilities to contribute in nation building.
Around 5,000 people are participating in this unique event which is of, by and for the ‘divyangjan’. It was a fully accessible event and an effort to showcase the minds full of courage, strength and determination of persons with special abilities, officials said.
This festival of inclusion will be a milestone in the journey of empowerment of divyangjan in J&K UT. It will inspire every citizen to work unitedly for empowerment and rehabilitation of divyangjan and to build an inclusive society, he added.
In last financial year, 384 differently abled people were provided government jobs. Reservation has increased from 3% to 4%. The posts, whether under public service commission or J&K staff selection board, will be filled within six months. We will prepare a legal framework to ensure employment opportunities to divyangjan in private sector, the L-G went on to add.
