Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said that the state government would establish the ‘Centre of Excellence for Education of Divyangjans’ in Kandaghat, Solan district of Himachal Pradesh.

“A first-of-its-kind facility in the state, the centre would offer quality education and comprehensive facilities, including playgrounds and residential accommodations, for specially-abled children upto 27 years of age,” said Sukhu here on Monday.

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Assuring timely completion of the Centre, he said, “The state government is steadfastly committed to completing the project within two years, with adequate funding provisions. A 45-bigha plot of government land has been identified in Tikkari village of Kandaghat area, and the ownership of the land has been given to the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment to set up this project.”

The Public Works Department (PWD) has been instructed to conduct contour mapping, prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and initiate the tender process once the DPR is ready, he added.

The proposed facility would cater to 300 Divyang students and provide all essential facilities to them, he said, adding that the PWD has done its preparatory work in setting up this project and Social Justice and Empowerment has studied various national institute models and identified courses for visually and hearing-impaired students.

“A committee comprising experts in visual and hearing impairment, along with representatives from Composite Regional Centre, Sundernagar, has been formed to finalize the modalities for the center. To further refine the project, a visit to the Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities in Chennai is planned. This visit aims to study the institute’s model and incorporate best practices into the Kandaghat centre,” said the Chief Minister.

Sukhu stated that over the past one and a half years, the state government has worked tirelessly to support marginalized sections of society and has advocated for their rights.

Numerous initiatives have been introduced to improve their welfare and integrate them back into the mainstream of society, he asserted.