Over 3,000 differently abled persons from all over Tamil Nadu will stage a protest in Chennai on March 24 to push the government to change norms for issue of monthly allowance.
According to S. Namburajan, State secretary of theTamilnadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC), the protest would be to highlight some of the "stringent, impractical" norms that the State Government stipulates and to get them revoked.
“Even though in the other parts of the country, 40 per cent disability is enough to get assistance, Tamil Nadu Government stipulates 60 per cent to provide assistance,” he said, adding that it was worse for those with speech and hearing disabilities. “The government says there should be 80 per cent disability in their case,” Mr. Namburajan said.
Other norms include age limit – only those more than 18 years old are eligible – and stipulation on family assets – those who have assets more than Rs.5,000 are not eligible.
The 3-per cent reservation for differently abled persons to government jobs was cleared by the Supreme Court last year. Mr. Namburajan, however, said that there has not been any traction on this front.
“Of the 1107 backlog teaching vacancies in Tamil Nadu, about 900 vacancies should be filled with differently abled persons. We have 934 differently abled persons who have cleared their TET exams and waiting to be placed for the past one year,” he said.
The protest will be held at 10 A.M. in front of the State Guest House in Chepauk.
