Deputy Commissioner R. Vishal said on Wednesday that a District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRC) would be set up on the first floor of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) Bhavan here at an estimated Rs. 42 lakh.

He was speaking after flagging off the Geneva Convention Day rally and a fund collection drive organised by the district unit of the Indian Red Cross Society at the District Stadium, here.

Dr. Vishal said that the district administration had decided to give priority to disability rehabilitation this year. The administration had already allocated Rs. 20 lakh for the centre, while the rest would be collected through donations.

The centre would have some beds and would have speech therapy facility and provide hearing aids and related facilities. The centre would be manned by three persons including a speech therapist. If necessary, more persons would be appointed. The IRCS would also be used for providing facilities for people with disabilities.

A Plasma Component Separator facility was available at the Blood Bank in Udupi. Such a facility had also been made available in Kundapur. This had put an end to the need of getting blood to Kundapur from Udupi, Dr. Vishal said.

Umesh Prabhu, vice-president of the district unit of IRCS, T. Chandrashekhar, treasurer, and Nikin Shetty, secretary, Sridhar D. Shenav, District Lions Governor, Roshan Kumar Shetty, District Sports and Youth Services Officer, were present.

Later, about 700 students took out a procession from the District Stadium.

The procession passed through Town Hall road, Court road, Diana Circle, Kavi Muddanna road, Shiribeedu road, Badagupete road and culminated at Rajanagana, here.