13,685 special students identified in Manipur

Correspondent IMPHAL, DECEMBER 29 As many as 13,685 students with special needs were identified to give necessary school education while implementing the central sponsored schemes such as Sarva Sikhsa Abhiyan (SSA) in Manipur government run educational institutions.About 6000 students out of the 13,685 special students have been enrolled into the government schools under SSA, according to State's SSA coordinator B Joyrani Devi.Joyrani was speaking as a resource person during the concluding session of the National Institute for the Orthopaedically Handicapped, Kolkata sponsored 2-day state level seminar on empowering the persons with disabilities, perspectives and issues at the Manipur press club in Imphal on Sunday afternoon. The SSA’s state coordinator also expressed the need to have effecting planning for effecting implementation of the SSA schemes for the students with special needs in the state. The state authority provides education facilities to the students with special needs who are in the age group from 6-18 years against the 6-14 years of the general students under SSA programme, she added. Interestingly Imphal west has the highest number of students with special needs among all the nine districts of the state while Chandel bordering Myanmar has the least number of students.Imphal west has 2122 students while Chandel has just 855. Earlier Secretary L Tokendra(Ricky) of Spastic Society of Manipur(SSM) spoke on community development and community participation for rehabilitation of persons with disabilities while Director K Joychandra of ICM Manipur on skill development and self help group. Meanwhile the All Manipur Handicapped persons' welfare association(AMHPWA) which has its office at Haobam Marak Keisham Leikai opposite SICO ground in Imphal west district, has demanded as separate minister and separate budget for disabled and handicapped destitutes.In a memorandum, the AMHPWA has been demanding monthly pensions/allowances of the handicapped persons for their survival,10 percent reservation of job facilities in the government recruitments,tax,free light,gas and water facilities to unemployed handicapped families,compulsory AAY cards,50 per cent reduction be made in transportation etc are some of the main demands of the AMHPWA.The seminar was held under the aegis of National Institute for the orthopaedically handicapped(NIOH) kolkata in collaboration with the state social welfare department,SSM and All Manipur handicapped persons welfare association. Manipur social welfare Minister Ak Mirabai Devi was the chief guest of the opening function of the seminar while Dr A Biswas was the functional president.