Shangla deputy commissioner on Sunday said that over 700 persons with disabilities to receive stipend as cheques distribution commenced this month, while 30 physically challenged persons trained with tailoring skills.
Deputy Commissioner, Shangla, Mohammad Fawad Khan told The Northern Post that 703 persons with disabilities are being given the financial assistance cheques of Rs 10,000 each from the social welfare department which is paid annually to PWDs across the province.
DC Shangla said that they had focused to the welfare and helping the Shangla physically challenged persons as this district had highest number of PWDs mostly got crippled in the coalmine incidents.
There are claims from the Coalminer mineworker right association about the percentage of coalminers of Shangla, ranging from 60-75 per cent work in the mines of different parts of the country and 50-60 dead bodies and 30-40 injured brought to Shangla who become victims in the coalmine incidents.
Deputy Commissioner, Shangla said that along with ensuring other facilities to persons with disabilities, they had started tailoring course at the social welfare office and the first batch successfully completed their training and qualified for receiving the gadgets, tools to initiate their startups in their respective villages and earn by themselves rather than to be dependent on phylothraphists and government assistance.
Assistant Commissioner, Alpuri, Hamid Ur Rehamn told The Northern Post that after assuming charge as an AC Alpuri he had started collection of the data of PWDs in Shangla and initiated projects for them.
“Tailoring course, financially supporting them and making them on to stand on their own feet and earn respectfully by own was the my objective. I have to serve the public for being the public servant and I am doing what is my professional obligation,” AC, Alpuri, Mohammad Saddiqui replied, who is popular for his unique way of working and his videos are viral on social media with million views and widely appreciated by the users for his public welfare work.
He said in the first phase, of Provincial Council for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons program of the KP government, they were distributing the cheques among the disabled persons, total 703 persons would be receiving the fund.
However, the Shangla persons with disabilities union, spokesperson, Hussain Ali told The Northern Post that they were welcoming to the government move but it they were not paid for the last a decade, since 2016.
He said it was their right from which they were kept deprived since 2016 till yet and still thousands of PWDs ignored in the scheme, as its number was more than 7000 in Shangla.
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