Rs. 21 m to empower disabled
Rs. 21 million has been granted to the Government Agents of all
districts except Mannar and Mullaitivu for Community Based
Rehabilitation Programmes (CBR) for 2007.
The aid was granted by the Government and Non-Governmental
organisations headed by the Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry
to create a barrier free environment to persons with disabilities.
Secretary to the Ministry V. Jegarasasingam stated this at the Community
Based Rehabilitation Review Programme meeting held for the District Co-ordinating
officers, Assistant Government Agents, at the Ministry, recently.
Accordingly, Rs. 12 million by the Ministry and Rs. 9 million by the
Non-Governmental Organisations have been allocated to all the districts
for the CBR programmes. The funds will be utilised to provide
accessibility facilities at public places and services for the persons
with disabilities.
Awareness programmes will also be conducted to create a barrier free
environment for the disabled.
Rs. 500,000 for the Colombo district, Rs. 550,000 for Gampaha, Rs.
360,000 for Kalutara, Rs. 515,000 for Galle, Rs. 500,000 for Matara, Rs.
800,000 for Hambantota, Rs. 825,000 for Ratnapura, Rs. 530,000 for
Kegalle, Rs. 710,000 for Badulla, Rs. 555,000 for Monaragala, Rs.
640,000 for Nuwara Eliya, Rs. 600,000 for Kandy, Rs. 450,000 for Matale,
Rs. 129,000 for Polonnaruwa, Rs. 1,000,000 for Anuradhapura, Rs. 975,000
for Kurunegala, Rs. 500,000 for Puttalam, Rs. 200,000 for Vavuniya, Rs.
300,000 for Kilinochchi and Rs. 300,000 for Jaffna have been allocated
for CBR programmes.
"The United Nations has done a tremendous volume of work for the
well-being of the disabled in the last two decades. Sri Lanka brought
the Disability Rights Act to protect the disabled's rights and
formulated a national policy for their well-being", Jegarasasingam said.
She said Minister Douglas Devananda has immensely worked for the
benefit of the disabled by changing social attitude towards them and
making them useful citizens to develop the country.
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