Odisha: World-class laboratory for blind students in Khurda

BHUBANESWAR: The Integrated Infrastructure Complex (IIC) in Khurda, being set up to provide social security to children with special needs and senior citizens, will soon get a world-class laboratory for blind students.

This was decided at a recent review meeting on the progress of IICs in 10 districts of  Khurda, Cuttack, Puri, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Malkangiri, Sundargarh, Ganjam and Nabarangpur, taken by the Commissioner of the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Department Bhaskar Sarma. The IICs are being implemented by the department under the 5T initiative of the State government.

Last year, the State government approved the construction of the IICs in 18 districts in the first phase. These centres will have old age homes and special schools for visually impaired and hearing impaired students. While some of the centres are under construction, those in Khurda, Ganjam, Sambalpur and Kandhamal will be operational by the end of September this year.

With an aim to provide better learning materials to visually-impaired students who would be enrolled at the IIC in Khurda, it was decided that reading equipment like Kindle will be provided to each such student. Besides, a single window portal will be developed for keeping the records of all agencies/NGOs, teaching and non-teaching staff and students of special schools in the IICs.