Goa’s dedication to inclusion shines through as Shri. Guruprasad Pawaskar, the Goa State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, and Shri. Taha Haaziq, Secretary of the Goa State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, secure the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for the year 2023.
The National Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for the year 2023, announced by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, will be presented on December 3, 2023, by Hon’ble President of India, Droupadi Murmu.
Shri. Guruprasad Pawaskar is honored as the Best State Commissioner under the ‘Divyangjano Ke Adhikar Adhiniyam 2016, Ke Apne Rajya Mein Karyanvayan Mein Sarvashreshtha Rajya Aayukta Divyangjan Category.’ Simultaneously, Shri. Taha Haaziq, has bagged the National Award in the ‘Sarvashreshtha Divyangjan’ category.
Expressing joy and gratitude to the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, Pawaskar and Haaziq attribute their success to the unwavering support of Hon’ble CM of Goa Dr. Pramod Sawant and Hon’ble Social Welfare Minister, Govt of Goa Shri. Subhash Phal Dessai.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment gives away the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities every year to Individuals, Institutions, Organizations, State/District etc for their outstanding achievements and work done towards empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
Joining as the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and Secretary of the Goa State Commission for Persons with Disabilities in 2022, Pawaskar and Haaziq have spearheaded numerous initiatives. Notable among them are Purple Fest, Goa – 2023, India’s first-of-its-kind inclusive festival celebrating persons with disabilities, the introduction of wheelchair-accessible E-rickshaws in the state, enhancing accessibility in public places under the Accessible India Campaign, conducting accessible audits of the educational institutions, launching an Online Dispute Resolution forum for legal matters concerning Persons with Disabilities, implementing an Equal Opportunity policy in government departments, and various other initiatives aimed at empowering Persons with Disabilities.