Minister for Social Welfare and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Goa, Shri Subhash Phal Dessai, along with State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Shri Guruprasad Pawaskar, visited New Delhi as part of the preparations for the upcoming International Purple Festival – Goa 2025 scheduled to be held from October 9-till October 12, 2025.
During their visit, the Goa delegation extended formal invitations to several key Ministers of the Union Government and also discussed various issues pertaining to Persons with Disabilities in Goa. The delegation also met with Chief Minister of Delhi, Smt. Rekha Gupta along with Shri Ashish Sood, Minister for Home, Delhi, and Shri Ravinder Singh (Indraj), Minister for Social Welfare, Delhi. In the meeting with the Delhi Chief Minister, Smt. Rekha Gupta, the Goa team extended a formal invitation to the International Purple Festival – 2025 and discussed a wide range of issues concerning the welfare and empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). Both sides exchanged ideas, policies, and best practices related to disability inclusion and support.
Smt. Gupta expressed great interest in the Purple Festival and requested the Social Welfare Ministry of Goa to provide consultancy and guidance for organizing a similar event in Delhi. They also explored opportunities for collaboration, including conducting an extensive survey of PwDs to strengthen policy planning and service delivery.
Also present during the meeting were officials from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of India, Ms Manmeet Kaur Nanda, Additional Secretary, Ms Richa Shankar, Dy Director General. Officials from Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), Shri Pravin Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director, Shri Pankaj Dwivedi, In charge Delhi Region, and Ms Priyanka Singh, Rehab Officer. From the office of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Shri Praveen Prakash Ambashta, Dy. Chief Commissioner for PwDs was also present.
The International Purple Festival – Goa 2025 aims to be a landmark event, celebrating inclusivity, accessibility, and empowerment of persons with disabilities. This year’s theme of the Fest: ‘Universal Design – Inclusive Thinking in Action’ calls for shifting society’s mindset and reimagining the world through the lens of accessibility, dignity, and design for all.
