A Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, MARCH 17
The Nagaland State Disability Forum (NSDF) with an aim to create awareness on disabilities and promote NSDF in other districts launched a districts tour in the state while sharing the vision of the mission.
The ‘districts tour’ which kick started today at Dimapur includes 6 members of NSDF who with all their abilities and dedication will be touring to 5 districts-Mon, Longleng, Mokokchung, Wokha and plans to end the tour on March 22 at the state capital.
During the tour, the members of NSDF who are special themselves plans to create awareness on various schemes available for the disabled while trying to network with the like-minded organizations in all districts.
The members of NSDF along with the awareness tour also plans to meet the Deputy Commissioner of every touring districts (excluding Kohima) with ‘an appeal’ to form a District Coordination Committee as per the PWD act Chapter 3, 3% reservation in all the poverty alleviation Schemes as per PWD act Chapter 6, Promote Disabled People Organizations or NGOs working for Disabled people in the District, make District Hospital accessible and hassle free for Disabled People in accessing Disability Certificate and medical checkups, a separate counter for Disabled People to be in place and a Social welfare Department to offer best available Services for the welfare of the Disabled People. The appeal is being undersigned by the President of NSDF, Kezhaleto Zecho.
While the most important and application that aims to benefit the whole of disabled community in the state will be forwarded on the last touring station at Kohima addressing to the State Disability Commissioner. The appeal consists of requesting the state to make Dimapur DDRC full functional, SSA-IED to be made functional and make services accessible to Disabled Children, Social welfare Department to release Disability pension timely, to form State Coordination and District Coordination Committee as per the PWD act Chapter 3, 3% reservation in all the poverty alleviation Scheme to be in place as per PWD act 6, to Promote Disabled People Organizations or NGOs working for Disabled people in the State, to make District Hospital accessible and hassle free for Disabled People in accessing Disability Certificate and medical checkups and a separate counter for Disabled People should be in place.
The Nagaland State Disability Forum (NSDF) which was officially formed in January, 2014 is an umbrella network that currently works for 70 Village level disabled People Organizations (VDPOs) comprising of more than 2000 people with disabilities.
As per census 2011, Nagaland has 29,631 people with disabilities.
NSDF also aims at mobilizing all the disabled people of the State to be a member of the Forum thereby providing a platform for collective effort towards assuring rights and duties of People with Disabilities in the State and beyond.
President of NSDF, Kezhaleto Zecho who is also the President of the NE region disability forum and a member of the national forum during the short informal launching programme said that though people with disabilities can avail various benefits through various sources, yet may are staying in the dark unaware of the schemes that can enable better and easier way of living among the people.
The tour with motto ‘listen to our voices’ was flagged off at Dimapur after Youth Director, Dimapur Ao Baptist Arogo (DABA), Toshi Jamir blessed the tour.
