Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday visited the Voluntary Medicare Society (VMS) in Srinagar, where he interacted with para athletes and reviewed a range of initiatives focused on the rehabilitation, empowerment and sports development of persons with disabilities across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The visit underscored the administration’s continued focus on strengthening support systems for the specially abled community across the Union Territory.
During the visit, the Lieutenant Governor held detailed discussions with VMS officials and para athletes on ways to reinforce support structures for Divyangjan, with particular emphasis on healthcare, rehabilitation, skill development and adaptive sports infrastructure. VMS President and Founder Dr Mir Mohammad Maqbool, along with Vice President Prof Masooda Yasin, urged the Lieutenant Governor to support the creation of a structured ecosystem for adaptive sports in the region. Their proposals covered a wide range of needs, including robotic physiotherapy equipment, expanded healthcare and skill development facilities, the establishment of a dedicated Jammu and Kashmir Para Sports Association, an indoor para sports hall, and improved access to sports wheelchairs, modern equipment, coaching camps, exposure programs and travel assistance for athletes.
Responding to these proposals, Sinha said the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, remains firmly committed to ensuring equal opportunities and empowerment for persons with disabilities. He noted that para athletes from Jammu and Kashmir have earned recognition at both national and international levels in recent years, and reiterated the administration’s commitment to developing world class infrastructure and comprehensive support systems for specially abled athletes across the Union Territory.
The Lieutenant Governor also toured the society’s rehabilitation units, wards and associated facilities, and personally interacted with children with special needs during the visit. He lauded the efforts of the Voluntary Medicare Society and its associated organisations for their long standing service to persons with disabilities in the region.
Present during the visit were Dr Mir Mohammad Maqbool, Prof Masooda Yasin, Secretary Dr Farooq Ahmad Kaloo, Executive Board Member Er Majid Ahmad Bala, along with staff, coaches, trainers and other office bearers of the society. Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar Dr G V Sundeep Chakravarthy, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Akshay Labroo and other senior officers also accompanied the Lieutenant Governor throughout the visit.
