A first: Differently abled run Una Sectt canteen

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Una, March 27

In a unique initiative, the Una district administration has provided six youths with different abilities an opportunity to earn livelihood through self-employment. They are now running a canteen in the Mini-Secretariat here. The earnings are being shared among themselves.

The two are with vision impairment, two with audio impairment and two with orthopaedic challenges. Manoj Kumar, now working in the canteen as cook, said, “I am happy at being provided the opportunity to earn for myself and my family. I will work hard and make this canteen a success so that other youths are inspired.”

DC Vikas Labroo, who is the brain behind the initiative, said he wanted to start a small venture to make differently abled youths self-reliant. Giving grants to them was not the solution.

The idea to run a canteen in the Mini-Secretariat was conceived when the local Bar Association raised a demand for it. The idea to get it run by differently abled youths was discussed with Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur who gave a go ahead, the DC said.

He said six youths from the National Career Service Centre for Differently Abled, a centre in Una, were selected for training in the Indian Hotel Management Institute, Kufri. The institute designed a special 45-day course for training them in catering, food and beverage preparation and housekeeping.

An amount of Rs 9 lakh was spent with the contributions from the Chintpurni Temple Trust,  corporates and the District Red Cross Society on the canteen. 

The initial investment for running the canteen was also made by the district administration, Vikas Labroo said.

Enquiries by The Tribune said the youths were getting orders for tea and snacks from all government offices in the Mini-Secretariat. The Bar members also ordered tea and snacks from the new canteen.

Pankaj, who is looking after the counter, said, “We will have to work hard to meet the orders.”

The DC said, “Many big corporates such as Nestle and Cremica had also approached me to help them set up canteen in their units in Una district.” 

The brain behind the initiativen DC Vikas Labroo is the brain behind the initiative

• The idea to run a canteen in the Mini-Secretariat was conceived when the Bar Association raised a demand for it
• Six youths from the National Career Service Centre for Differently Abled, a centre in Una, were selected for training in the Indian Hotel Management Institute, Kufri
• The institute designed a special 45-day course in catering, food and beverage preparation and housekeeping