Bhubaneswar: Prioritising skill training and placement, the Odisha Social Security and Empowerment of PwDs (SSEPD) Department has signed MoUs with AssisTech, Sakhyam and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with AssisTech (IIT, Delhi) and Sakhyam, an NGO. AssisTech provides advanced technological-aided solutions to visually impaired children for their education, livelihood and independent living. It will also impart training to special educators.
The MoU will stand for the coming 3 years. In the first phase, it will undertake activities in six Special Schools for visually impaired students and will enhance its work in the next phases. It will be a partner in knowledge power for the PwDs.
Another MoU was signed with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bhubaneswar Chapter for skill training and placement assistance for PwDs. Operational for the coming 3 years, the MoU said it will extend adequate training and skilling to prepare PwD students in office assistance, tourism and hospitality sectors.
SSEPD Dept Principal Secretary Bishnupada Sethi said such understanding will serve larger disabilities issues through collaboration. He wished that extensive skilling would empower PwDs to make them meaningful partners in the mainstream.
Smt. Niyati Pattnaik, Director was the signatory in both the MoUs on behalf of the Department while Prof. Madhusudan Rao and Dipendra Manocha have signed on behalf of AssisTech and Sakhyam respectively.
The other MoU was signed by Prof. R.N. Pattnaik, Senior Director and Col. Sriprakash Pany, Deputy Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Dillip K. Ray, Special Secretary, SSEPD Department and other senior officers were present in the signing programme.
