Hostel facility sought for disabled

Shimla, February 17

Expert member of HP State Advisory Board on Disability and chairman of Umang Foundation Ajai Srivastava has urged Education Minister Govind Thakur to ensure college and school hostel accommodation to visually impaired and other students who can’t walk due to disability.

In a letter to the minister, he said that freshers were denied hostel accommodation. Educational institutions have opened after 11 months but initially only old students are being given accommodation in the hostels of colleges and schools. He said in this situation the visually impaired students and those who can’t walk due to disability will face hardships.

Quoting a case of RKMV College of Shimla where four visually impaired girls, Shalini (Chamba), Monika (Kinnaur), Kiran (Rohru) and Priya (Sarahan) have been admitted in BA, he said that in case they are not given hostel accommodation, they would be deprived of their classes and examinations. The same position prevails in all colleges and schools across the state. — TNS