Barnala woman chosen for nat’l award

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 30

Twenty- seven- year-old Chetna Singla, a low-vision woman from Barnala, has been chosen for the National Disability Day award. It will be conferred upon her on December 3 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

An elated Chetna, an employee with a government bank, said that though the government has acknowledged the rights and concerns of differently abled people in the country, the society is yet to adopt a compassionate attitude towards them.

“A differently abled person does not want sympathy, but a chance to work and show his worth to society,” said the 27-year-old who also works as a part-time radio jockey to raise her voice for the rights of differently abled people.

State awardees

Meanwhile, the state government will confer Disability Day Awards to seven people and two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) this year. These include Pawan Kumar, Principal, Senior Secondary School, Jumba; and Manjagmeet Singh, a social activist from Bathinda. Also, two government employees Babaljit Kaur, employed at the Vigilance Bureau in Mohali; and Vinod Kumar Fakira, PA to Joint Municipal Commissioner, Jalandhar; were chosen. Amarjit Singh Anand, a social activist; and Tejinder Singh, a self-employed person from Jalandhar; were also chosen in the individual capacity. Dr Jatinder Aggarwal from Delhi running an NGO has also been selected for the award.

Among the NGOs, Red Cross Society, Faridkot, and Bharat Vikas Parishad in Ludhiana has been chosen for the awards that will include a citation, a medal and a cash award.

While Pawan Kumar with 80 per cent disability had helped around 20 differently abled children from his school to win laurels in various games by providing them physiotherapy, Babaljit Kaur is working for the welfare of differently abled people since 1998.

Amarjit Singh Anand has been running an NGO for years to safeguard the rights and interests of differently abled persons in society. He has expertise in handling Down syndrome children.

Another awardee Vinod Kumar said that though the state government was providing equal opportunity to differently abled people, all the government offices should be equipped with ramps for their easy movement.

Dr Aggarwal, who is running an NGO ‘Sarthak’, has been instrumental in holding many health awareness camps for the differently abled people in the state.