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Kathmandu,Thursday January 20, 2000 Magh 6th, 2056.
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Handicaps
deprived of basic facilities
By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, Jan 19 - Handicaps residing at
Nepal Handicapped Association, Khagendra Navajeevan Kendra today lamented that they were
being deprived of higher education and basic facilities since the last five years.
They blamed poor administration for their
state.
Speaking at the programme organised to mark
the 71st birth anniversary of the founder Khagendra Basnet, Lal Bahadur Gurung, a
visually-impaired resident said their demand is ususally brushed off with the excuse that
they are short of budget.
According to the residents, the organisation,
which has its branches in 6 different districts, has been incapable of providing the five
sets of clothing and the Rs.100 monthly pocket money in time. "When we want a sweater
in winter, we’ll have to wait until spring," laments Gurung.
The residents have other grievances,too.
According to them, eight months ago, Social Welfare Council had given a loan of up to Rs.
20,000 per person without any collateral. They claim the loans never reached them.
Speaking at the programme they also raised
the question of the validity of the 60 odd non-governmental organisations opened for the
welfare of handicapped persons. General Secretary of the association, Tirtharaj Onta said,
"Nobody knows what those organisations are doing."
Speakers also stressed on the need to have a
National Policy on the handicaps. Ishwori Adhikari, vice chairperson of the association,
said "In the past 10 years after democracy, the handicapped population of the country
have not been able to get any security and the government has not been sensitive to their
needs."
On the same occasion, Minister of State for
Women and Social Welfare inaugurated the "Khagendra Memorial Library". The
organisation plans to develop the library into a resource centre. Currently, there are 16
thousand books in the library.
Pant also inaugurated a painting exhibition
by 23 children and gave away prizes and cash award of Rs. 7 thousand to the residents who
had excelled in the International Olympics for the handicaps.
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