Visually challenged persons and members of the National Federation of the Blind staged a demonstration in front of the Swadeshi Mills to press for implementation of their charter of demands.
Criticising the Puducherry government’s failure to provide 3 per cent reservation to differently abled in government departments as per the directions of the Union Government, T. Manikandan, president of the National Federation of the Blind, urged the government to immediately fill the vacancies by employing people who are differently-abled.
The Federation sought provision of free mobile phones to visually challenged persons and constitute a separate welfare board for the differently abled persons.
The government should increase the monthly maintenance allowance for the differently abled to a minimum of Rs. 3,000, they added. The Federation sought increased allowance for those with a higher degree of disability and uniform criteria.