Hundreds of petitioners throng distrct collectorates in the State every Monday with the hope that their problems would be resolved at the weekly grievance redress meetings. This is the case with farmers who attend the monthly grievances redress meetings held for them.
But the problems faced by the the differently abled are definitely more complex. Considering their plight, the Virudhunagar district administration has come up with the plan of holding monthly grievance redress meetings exclusively for them. The first meeting will be held on January 7.
“I feel we are not able to give enough attention to the grievances of differently abled persons when they come to the petition hall on Mondays as it is crowded,” Collector J. Meghanath Reddy told The Hindu on Thursday.
The government has various schemes to help them, but often their voices are missed in the crowd.
“I got the inspiration from a differently abled girl, who came for an interview. I learnt about her daily ordeals and now we have come up with special toilets to cater to their specific needs,” Mr. Meghanath said.
Officials themselves can learn more about the problems faced by the differently abled when their grievances are heard with more patience and, hence, the new initiative, the Collector said.
“Even if a hearing aid or a wheelchair is given, it will make a huge impact on their lives,” he added.
Officials from the Department of Social Welfare, Department of Differently Abled Welfare and Department of Health will be present at the meeting planned at the new conference hall on the ground floor at the Collectorate.
