Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy announced that a decision on increase in the pensions for the differently-abled would be taken before March next year. Also being mulled over was the proposal to announce pensions for those with less than 40 per cent disability, who have been disqualified from the pension scheme recently by way of special camps.
The Chief Minister made these announcements at a meeting organised in Ibrahimpatnam to celebrate the World Disabled Day on Monday. About Rs. 600 crore was being allocated to differently-abled Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Rs.400 crore to ‘Rajiv Vidya Mission’, he said. He also distributed tricycles and special apparatus to the differently-abled persons during the ‘Indiramma Baata’ programme that he inaugurated in Ranga Reddy district on Monday.
Mr. Reddy also promised to have three to four seats reserved for the them in the APSRTC buses, and to sanction sports facilities. Orders will soon be delivered to sanction houses and toilets especially for the differently-abled, he said.
Differently-abled persons need opportunities and not pity, he averred, and remembered his college days when he won the elections with the support of disabled students.
He also promised a four-lane road from the Outer Ring Road at Bongulur till Ibrahimpatnam.\
Interaction with locals
In his whirlwind tour of Maheshwaram mandal of the Ranga Reddy district, the Chief Minister interacted with local communities including toddy tappers, Muslims and Christians in three separate meetings.
He sanctioned an Urdu Junior College for the residents of Pahadi Shareef, and a degree college for the Maheshwaram constituency. For the Muslim minorities at Maheshwaram, Mr. Reddy granted a hospital with maternity ward and promised funds for construction of roads and drains, apart from houses under Indiramma scheme.
He reiterated his government’s commitment to minorities’ welfare and said the budget for minorities has been increased to Rs. 489 crore from Rs. 180 crore since he became the Chief Minister.
About Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 crore scholarships were being disbursed to 1.5 lakh minority students every year. He said a volunteer would be appointed for every 100 houses in the old city to promote education.
Mr. Reddy had words of praise for the self help groups in the state, who, he said, are availing 50 per cent of the loans granted by banks throughout the country.
