Cuttack, Sept 30 (PTI) Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar on Friday said the Centre was making efforts to impart skill training to the differently able persons or Divyangs in order to make them ‘Atmanirbhar’ (self-sufficient). Kumar said this on the sideline of the inauguration of a 100-bed Rehabilitation Annex, Therapeutic Park and unveiling of the statue of Swami Vivekananda inside the Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation, Training and Research (SVNIRTAR) at Olatpur in Cuttack district. He said the addition of 100 beds will further upgrade the status of SVNIRTAR. "The ministry is making efforts to impart skill training to the Divyangjans besides extending them financial assistance. Odisha has many types of handicrafts and handlooms. The Divyaangs can be gainfully imparted training in such art and crafts," the Union minister said, adding that once a Divyang becomes Aatmanirbhar, his or her family to becomes Aatmanirbhar and hence the whole society becomes Aatmanirbhar. He said a skill centre will come up in a few months and will be a great aid for the Divyangs. On SVNIRTAR, Kumar said the institute is serving the people of not only Odisha, but also people from across the country come here for treatment, training and rehabilitation of Divyangs. The Diploma, Degree and Masters programmes provided here are contributing in creating quality manpower, he said. Kumar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken many initiatives for development of Divyangjan. "Under Rights for Persons with Disability Act of 2016, the government has hiked the reservation for the divyangs from 3 to 4 per cent in government jobs and from 3 to 5 per cent in education sector," the Union Social Justice and Empowerment minister said. Earlier, BJP president and MP Jagat Prakash Nadda inaugurated the 100-bed Rehabilitation Annex building, Therapeutic Park and unveiled the statue of Swami Vivekananda inside the SVNIRTAR complex in the presence of Union Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Kumar. Nadda highlighted how the health, education and social sectors have improved under Prime Minister Narendra Modi"s governance in the past eight years. He said that in Odisha, six medical colleges have been set up in the past eight years and two more are coming up in Jajpur and Kalahandi soon. Later, the leaders distributed aids to the Divyangs. One of the beneficiaries, Satyanarayan Podh from Bargarh who received a prosthetic hand developed by SVNIRTAR said that he has got a new lease of life because of SVNIRTAR. Satyanaranayan had lost one of his hands in a road accident. PTI AAM RG RG