NHFDC to Set Up Micro Skill Training Centers to Empower Divyangjan: Rajan Sehgal
| Onkareshwar Pandey - Editor in Chief - CEO, IOP - 25 Jan 2020

National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) have come up with an innovative idea to support and empower Persons with disabilities (PwDs). It has conceptualized ‘State of the Art’ portable micro skill training centers. These PMST Centers will be fitted with all skills training facilities in various trades specific to the area in order to take care of the quality issue in skill training to PwDs.

By Rakhee Bakhshee / Onkareshwar Pandey

New Delhi, January 26, 2020: National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) have come up with an innovative idea to support and empower Persons with disabilities (PwDs). It has conceptualized ‘State of the Art’ portable micro skill training centers. These PMST Centers will be fitted with all skills training facilities in various trades specific to the area in order to take care of the quality issue in skill training to PwDs.

National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) is a Not for Profit Public Sector Enterprise, which aims to augment and strengthen its efforts to empower Persons with disabilities.

The portable micro skill training centers will be uniformly designed, and accessible and with quality support facilities and will be equipped with the required machinery/ equipment’s/ Gadgets for the targeted training for any location. “NHFDC has grounded a few pilot Swavalamban Kendra’s and has also made arrangements to run the centers through appropriate man power and other support,” said Rajan Sehgal, CMD, National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation

The NHFDC was set up by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India on 24th January 1997. The company is registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 as a Company not for profit. It is wholly owned by Government of India and has an authorised share capital of Rs. 400 crores (Rupees Four Hundred Crore only). The company is managed by Board of Directors nominated by Government of India. NHFDC functions as an Apex institution for channelising the funds to persons with disabilities through the State Channelising Agencies (SCAs) nominated by the State Government(s).

In order to establish and stabilize the portable micro skill training centers model, NHFDC has made agency arrangements for mobilization of PwDs, for identifying and deploying instructors and post placement support in local area(s).

“The PwDs (Divyangjan) interested in owning and operating NHFDC skill training center and having the arrangement of requisite space/land (either own/leased) for setting up such skill training center shall be supported by NHFDC through concessional credit and training grants,” Sehgal said.

It is projected that one skill training center of 30 x 10 feet (approx.) will provide skill training to at least 100 PwDs in a year, will generate enough revenue to sustain the center. NHFDC shall provide grant in aid support for skill training for 4 years for skilling of 100 or more PwDs per year under grant from SIPDA / CSR. “NHFDC Foundation will provide necessary guidance, mentoring and handholding to the interested PwDs,” he said.

In the process, it is expected that PwD Entrepreneurs is well versed in the running of the skill training centers will be evolved and should be able to take off independently after the handholding period by NHFDC.

NHFDC, in a meeting held recently in New Delhi, discussed with the banks and some State representatives as to how the financial chain of providing loans to persons with disabilities can be maintained smoothly.

Mr. Sehgal said, “NHFDC aims to strengthen all those agencies who are involved in providing financial assistance. We had a meeting with the banks and some State representatives as to how the coordination among various stakeholders be strengthened to ensure that persons with disabilities not only get engaged in seeking livelihood for themselves but add to their dignity by marketing and selling the products they make out of their skills. Representatives from banks like Andhra Banks, Gramin Bank and Cooperative Societies were present in this meeting apart from agents from State.”

NHFDC has also launched Divyangjan Swavalamban Yojana, which provides concessional credit for the benefit of the persons with disabilities (Disability as defined in PwD Act, 2016 or its amendments) in the income generation, they help PwDs in pursuing higher education after class 12th, vocational or skill development, purchase and fitment of any assistive device(s)/ Customization/ Retrofitting or conversion of available machine, equipment, vehicle to disabled friendly mood.

Talking about this Divyangjan Swavalamban Yojana, Rajan Sehgal, CMD said, “the main objective of the scheme is to assist the needy disabled persons by providing concessional loan for economic and overall empowerment to any Citizen of India with 40% or more disability, and age above 18 years (in case of person with mental retardation, eligible age would be above 14 years).”

“The upper limit to extend concessional credit through various NHFDC schemes would be Rs. 50 lakhs per beneficiary/unit and the nature of loan could be term loan / working capital loan / promoter contribution towards the loans being sanctioned by other financial institutions.”

According to Sehgal “We wish to empower these divyangjans by facilitating them not only in education or employment, but also in providing them an enabling atmosphere to market and sell their products.” 

“In this regards our cooperation has thought of not only creating skill centers, but also hold exhibitions throughout the country, where the artistic designs and handicraft work of them can be sold at competitive price. In February 2020 they corporation is planning to hold an exhibition cum sale event in New Delhi. NHFDC aims to provide platform to the disables to Brand their products in such a way that it should be market friendly and sell them at competitive price and scale over different website,” Sehgal said.

NHFDC, under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, has been financing income generating schemes of the Disabled Persons for their socio-economic empowerment through state channelizing agencies (SCAs). It is set up to promote self-employment and other ventures for the benefit of the Divyangjans. In addition to this NHFDC assist them by providing loans for pursuing general/ professional/ technical education for training at graduate and higher levels.

They also support in upgradation of technical and entrepreneurial skills and facilitate inclusion and comfortable living of Divyangjans by setting up training programs, quality control, common facility centers and other infrastructural activities. The Corporation functions as an apex institution for channelizing the funds to the people with disability and furthermore support’s the state-level organizations by way of providing financial assistance and self-employed individuals /groups of individuals or registered factories/companies/co-operatives of PwDs in marketing their finished goods and assist in the procurement of raw materials. Besides this, they extend concessional credits through various implementing agencies, banks, NGOs and various other financial institutions. 

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(Onkareshwar Pandey is Founder, Editor in Chief & CEO, Indian Observer Post and former Senior Group Editor- Rashtriya Sahara (Hindi & Urdu) and also former Editor, (News), ANIhttp://bit.ly/2mh7hih)

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