Amit Shah lays foundation stone for college, hostel for visually impaired in Jodhpur

New Delhi, Sep 21: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday laid the foundation stone of Shri Parasmal Bohra College for the Visually Impaired and a hostel for students in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and several dignitaries were present at the ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, Shah said that those who dedicate their lives to serving the differently-abled inspire countless others.

He praised the work of Sushila Ji, who has established schools, colleges, hostels, Braille printing facilities, audio books and computer labs for visually impaired students.

Amit Shah said three projects worth about ₹15 crore were launched on the day and expressed confidence they would be completed on time. He recalled that Parasmal Bohra College, set up in 2022, was Rajasthan’s first such college for the visually impaired. The Home Minister stressed that the differently-abled should be seen not with pity but as “symbols of divinity.” He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for coining the term Divyang in 2015, which he said has given dignity and self-respect to millions across the country.

Highlighting government efforts, Shah said India had won only eight medals at the Paralympics till 2012, but secured 52 in the last three editions. He also noted that the Modi government has raised the budget for the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities from ₹338 crore in 2014 to ₹1,313 crore. Under the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, ₹563 crore has been spent to make over 3,000 public buildings, as well as 90 airports, accessible for the differently-abled. Shah added that in the past decade, 18,000 camps have been organized to provide assistive devices to 31 lakh people, compared to 7 lakh before 2014.