HD Kumaraswamy Distributes Assistive Devices To 299 Persons With Disabilities

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday said persons with disabilities were close to his heart and stressed the need to provide them equal opportunities rather than sympathy. He was speaking in Mandya while distributing assistive devices to 299 persons with disabilities under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Kumaraswamy recalled his tenure as Karnataka Chief Minister and said he had created a system that enabled persons with disabilities to directly approach the Vidhana Soudha. He emphasised that people with disabilities should have opportunities to lead lives with dignity and self-respect, adding that society has a responsibility to ensure equal opportunities for them.

Battery-operated tricycles, artificial limbs, hearing aids and other assistive devices were distributed to around 299 beneficiaries at Ambedkar Bhavan in Mandya. The equipment was provided through CSR programmes of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO). Kumaraswamy said the total value of the assistive devices distributed was Rs 50 lakh.

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During his visit, the Union Minister also inaugurated a digital assessment system at Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS). The facility was established with Rs 1 crore provided by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) under its CSR programme. Kumaraswamy visited the hospital earlier in the day before inaugurating the new system.

He later visited the government school in Halalli village, where he inaugurated two classrooms constructed with a Rs 32.50 lakh CSR grant from ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS India). He also laid the foundation stone for two additional classrooms at the former Municipal College in Mandya city, with the project receiving another Rs 32.50 lakh grant from the company’s CSR programme.

Kumaraswamy participated in CSR initiatives involving a total investment of Rs 2.15 crore in Mandya. Speaking at the Halalli government school, he also highlighted the Central government’s focus on education and quality infrastructure, pointing to measures aimed at improving facilities in schools and colleges under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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