PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi is set to visit his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on January 22, where he will distribute aid and appliances to the differently abled, whom he had described as ‘Divyang’ (people with divine limb) in a recent Mann ki Baat broadcast. The aid will be distributed under Assistance for Disabled Persons for Purchase, Fitting of Aids, Appliance Scheme (ADIP) of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. WATCH VIDEO: Viklang To Divyang: Disability Rights Organisation Rebut Govt Under the ADIP programme, motorised tricycles, wheelchairs, accessible mobile phones for visually impaired students, Braille Note Taker and Brallier, Braille writing equipment, learning and communication equipment, Braille attachments for telephone for the hearing and visually impaired, low vision and special mobility aids, hearing aids and assistive and alarm devices are handed over. [related-post] The district administration has received preliminary information about the visit from the Prime Minister’s Office. Varanasi District Magistrate Raj Mani Yadav said a detailed programme of the PM’s visit is yet to be received. “Nearly 7,766 differently-abled people will be given aid and appliances on January 22. These people have been identified for help through a survey conducted in all eight blocks of Varanasi district in August, last year,” he added. Varanasi district’s Disabled Welfare Officer Ranjeet Singh said after the survey, the district administration had held camps where such people were enrolled and issued certificates of disability and income. “Invitations to the 7,766 beneficiaries will be sent after the PM’s detailed programme reaches us,” he added. According to the preliminary programme received by the Varanasi administration from the PMO, the PM is likely to visit Lucknow and Varanasi. The Lucknow district administration, however, denied any such report. In his recent Mann ki Baat programme, the PM had spoken about the ‘Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Access India Campaign)’ for people with disabilities. Modi had urged everyone to use the word ‘Divyang’ (people with a divine limb) instead of ‘viklang’ (disabled) while referring to such people. Last month, Modi had visited Varanasi with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and witnessed Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat. In September, last year, Modi had distributed paddle rickshaws, e-rickshaws, push carts and Rupay Card to several beneficiaries in the city.
