CHENNAI: More than 5,000 disabled people, who arrived in Chennai demanding an increase in their social security pension, were detained in several places on Tuesday. After more than 1,000 people staged a protest at Chepauk, Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Minister Geetha Jeevan held talks with them. While the demands were accepted on a policy level, Jeevan said some couldn’t be implemented immediately.
The Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of all Types of Differently Abled & Caregivers (TARATDAC) announced the protest plan of dwelling at the State Secretariat on December 26. Over 15,000 disabled people from across TN were mobilised for the protest in Chennai. “However, many were stopped from boarding trains and buses. In some places, officials asked them to de-board the train at midnight. Those who reached the Central Railway Station and Koyambedu Bus Stand were detained at marriage halls,” said Nambu Rajan, State general secretary of the association.
The social security pension given to the disabled people currently involves three departments. Based on a G.O of the social welfare department, a pension of Rs 1,000 is disbursed by the revenue department to nearly 4 lakh people. The differently abled welfare department provides Rs 1,500 to around 2 lakh people with five types of disability. The association demands an increase to Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively. “In the UT, Rs 3,800 is given while it is Rs 3,016 in Telangana and Rs 3,000 in AP. Recently, the DMK government increased the Rs 1,500 provided by the differently abled department to Rs 2,000,” said Rajan.
Another demand was to remove the age restriction for the pension. Among those below 18 years, only those approved by the age relaxation committee—headed by Collectors—get the pension, at present. Majority of those under 18 are affected by this, said association members. But, the government assured this would be remedied soon.
Other demands included: implementing four hours of work under the MGNREGA scheme for disabled persons, including families headed by disabled under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana cards, five per cent reservation in private sector, appointing a separate disabled commissioner and sensitising doctors providing certificates.