Differently-abled's rehabilitation centre faces infrastructure problems

Jaipur: The vocational rehabilitation centre in Jaipur which provides training to the differently-abled people is witnessing low footfall due to lack of proper infrastructure and resources at its Jawahar Nagar-based campus.
The rehabilitation centre, which is run by the ministry of labour and employment, offers both short and long-term courses in computer training, stitching, iron welding, etc., but the campus lacks proper infrastructure essential for differently-abled students.
"We have constructed ramps and added other essential infrastructure. But the campus cannot be called handicapped-friendly as we are operating from a housing board building and need to take permission for every minor construction work," said Yashpal Singh, in-charge of the centre.
He added that several outstation parents choose not to send their daughters to the centre as there is no separate women's hostel inside the campus.
"We have the capacity to accommodate 50 candidates. But currently we have only 13 inmates. We don't have a separate women's hostel, thus, it's impossible for the outstation girls to stay here for training," he said.
Besides lack of adequate infrastructure, staff crunch is another problem the centre is grappling with.
"Earlier, we had five instructors giving training in different modules. But due to frequent transfers we are now operating with just two instructors," he added.
The centre's commercial computer course was put on the back burner after one of the trainers was transferred last year.
"I have written to the officials concerned that new instructors should be appointed as soon as possible to resume the courses," Singh said.
He added that all these problems could be resolved if the centre is shifted to a new campus. "The state government has agreed to give us land in Jamdoli.
But we need to pay Rs 6 crore for it. The labour ministry is talking to the state government to get some concession. Once we have a new campus we can hope to increase our seats too," he added.