According to official sources here today, the Minister had launched the 'Badhte Kadam', a national awareness programme on Disability and a campaign of National Trust at the State Academy Hall yesterday. Badhte Kadam is defined by the Minister as stepping ahead, hand in hand.
It is a campaign of National Trust and is a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
With India signing the United Nations Convention for Rights of People with Disability (UNCRPD), the National Trust is committed to bring about a paradigm shift in the approach to disability, the Minister stated.
He also said that it would bring about new perspective which would help people with disability to live as one among others with the laying down of rights and responsibilities.
According to the Minister, the total number of disabled population in Nagaland, as per 2001 census, is 20,499 with 23,520 in rural and 3,979 in urban areas.
The district-wise classifications of disabled people in the State according to 2001 census are: - Mon- 3741; Tuensang (then joint) 7477, Mokokchung 2596, Zunheboto- 2675, Wokha -1847, Dimapur- 3205, Kohima-3394 and Phek-1564.
With the 2011 February Census with special focus on types of disability, we should educate the people to come forward with right information to make the census successful and added that various schemes of government, meant for the disabled, should be utilized properly.
Mr Konyak appealed to all the people not to isolate or discriminate the disabled anymore as it had been done in the past.
He urged everyone to co-operate to make the world a better place by giving them an opportunity to excel independently and encouraged them to come forward as equal with others.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Social Welfare and Women Development Chotisuh Sazo also attended the function as the guest of honour.
Scheme of National Trust was presented by the Advisor of Nagaland Parent Association for the differently-abled, Dr Joyce Zinyu.