Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 3: On International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), protest demonstrations were held by the PwDs in both the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar seeking special concessions, increased pension and jobs for them.
Jammu District Association of the Deaf in collaboration with Association of Deaf and Dumb took out a protest rally in Jammu. Hundreds of deaf and dumb children and youth participated in the rally. They were holding placards in their hands with their demands displaying on them.
Their major demands included implementation of Government’s welfare schemes for PwDs on ground, establishment of at least 2 special schools for them in each district, increasing monthly pension of the Disabled, special concessions to them in establishing their business and implementation of Handicapped Act 2016 in letter and spirit.
Protestors said they felt betrayed by those in power and alleged that successive Governments had ignored their concerns. They said promises made to them and schemes meant for them remained confined to paper only.
In Srinagar dozens of members of J&K Handicapped Association (JKHA) gathered near the Press Enclave, holding banners and raising slogans. Their demands include a special recruitment drive for qualified persons with disability, and an increase in the monthly pension. They also sought low-interest loans with subsidies and special concessions on essential commodities, including LPG.
Association president Abdul Rashid Bhat said they have been raising the same demands for nearly 20 years. He said the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, had been implemented across the country but not enforced in Jammu and Kashmir in its true spirit.
“The Disability Act was rolled out in other states years ago, while we are still waiting for our legal rights to be recognized on the ground,” Bhat said. The monthly pension for persons with disabilities should be increased from Rs 1,250 to Rs 3,000, he said.
The protesters appealed to the Government to implement these measures in line with the provisions of the Disability Act, 2016, and existing orders.
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