State to Hold Workshop on Draft Chhattisgarh Disability Welfare and Rehabilitation Policy on November 18

Raipur, Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh’s Department of Social Welfare, with support from UNICEF, will organize a workshop in Raipur to strengthen the draft Chhattisgarh State Disability Welfare and Rehabilitation Policy 2025. The event will be held at a private hotel, with Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Minister Smt. Laxmi Rajwade attending as the chief guest.

The workshop aims to refine the policy before final approval and to align it fully with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which defines disability in terms of rights rather than charity. In line with the Act, the Social Welfare Department has prepared a comprehensive draft policy. The workshop has been convened to make it more inclusive and operationally stronger, with technical guidance from UNICEF.

Built on the principle of “Nothing about us, without us,” the workshop will draw feedback from key stakeholders, departmental representatives and national experts. Among those expected to contribute are Shri Rajive Raturi (lead petitioner in the Rajive Raturi vs Union of India case and Asia Pacific Regional Officer, Disability Rights Promotion International), Sameer Ghosh (Inclusion Advisor, World Bank), Akhil Paul (Founder-Director, Sense International India) and Sushri Alka Malhotra from UNICEF.

To ensure a coordinated approach across the government, senior officials from a wide range of departments will participate. These include Home (Police), Panchayat and Rural Development, Tribal and Scheduled Caste Development, Public Relations and Tourism, General Administration, Public Works, School Education, Health and Family Welfare, Finance, Commerce and Industry, Transport, Electronics and Information Technology, Higher Education, Skill Development, Technical Education and Employment, Women and Child Development, Urban Administration and Development, Labour, Sports and Youth Welfare and Village Industries.

The workshop will focus on obtaining specific inputs on all chapters of the draft policy, including education, health, employment, accessibility and social security. Suggestions received will be incorporated into the final document. The government expects the policy, once adopted, to become a significant step toward improving the lives of persons with disabilities in the state and ensuring a more inclusive environment across sectors.