TENKASI: The rural development department started the reconstruction of the ramp at the Block Development Office, Alangulam, for persons with disabilities (PwD). The Director for the Welfare of the Differently-Abled promised PwD-friendly government buildings by June 2022.
“We are reconstructing the wheelchair ramp in the main building and would construct such ramps in two other sections of our office,” block development officer T Pazhanivel said. Referring to a TNIE report, which showed a PwD struggling to climb steps here, Pazhanivel sent a clarification to the Collector, mentioning the reconstruction.
Meanwhile, Director for the Welfare of the Differently Abled, Johny Tom Varghese, wrote to the secretary of the department explaining measures being taken to develop infrastructure for PwDs in State government offices. “The government has sanctioned `4.74 crore towards access audit in 790 buildings,” he said.
“The Public Works Department, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department were informed to make the public buildings accessible for the PwDs. The timeline for making it so would be June 2022,” Varghese said.