‘Saksham’ project of North Dinajpur receives gold at SKOCH award ceremony in Delhi

Raiganj: In a moment of great pride for the people of North Dinajpur, the district’s ‘Saksham’ project has been honored with the prestigious gold award at the SKOCH Awards held in New Delhi. The award was presented by the SKOCH group at the Silver Oak hall in recognition of the project’s outstanding contribution to improving the lives of physically challenged individuals in the district. The award was received by Surajit Pandit, NDC of the district administration, on Saturday.

The ‘Saksham’ project, initiated under the leadership of district magistrate Surendra Kumar Meena and inspired by the vision of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has provided artificial limbs and assistive devices to a large number of differently-abled persons.

The district administration, in collaboration with the Jaipur Bhagwan Mahabir Bikalanga Sahayata Samity, organised a series of camps across five blocks in North Dinajpur: Raiganj, Kaliyaganj, Karandighi, Goalpokhar-1 and Islampur.

From January 16, over the course of 25 days, the camps registered a total of 11,458 beneficiaries, of which 9,954 individuals received assistive devices such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, calipers, crutches, walkers, and Jaipur limbs. The district administration also ensured that the beneficiaries were reimbursed for their travel costs to attend the camps.

District magistrate Surendra Kumar Meena expressed joy over the recognition, stating: “We are extremely encouraged that our ‘Saksham’ project has been awarded the gold at the SKOCH Awards. It is a unique initiative in the state, where around ten thousand individuals were provided with essential assistive devices and artificial limbs.”

The Saksham Project goes beyond providing physical support. During the camps, awareness was raised about the rights and dignity of persons with special needs, and many beneficiaries were connected to social benefit programs such as the Manabik and Disability Pension Scheme for financial assistance. The administration is also working towards creating more inclusive infrastructure in the district.

Looking ahead, Meena revealed that there are plans to organise more camps for physically challenged individuals in the district next month, ensuring continued support and empowerment for those in need.