Telangana: Physically challenged persons stage novel protest for disability welfare in Suryapet
Demand Congress government to allocate special budget of Rs 3,000 crore for the welfare of persons with disabilities
Suryapet: Physically challenged persons staged a unique protest to press their demands in Gumpula village of Suryapet district on Wednesday. They staged a demonstration by eating mud to draw the attention of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy who had promised an enhanced pension of Rs 6,000 per month to the physically challenged persons in the State after coming to power.
With the Chief Minister failing to make at least a mention of the promise during the 15-month rule of the Congress in the State, the physically challenged persons are now on protest mode. Gidde Rajesh, State president of Committee for Protection of Disability Rights, demanded the State government to allocate a special budget of Rs 3,000 crore for the welfare of persons with disabilities.
He emphasised the need for representation of persons with disabilities in the upcoming Cabinet expansion by Revanth Reddy. He also criticised the government for failing to fulfil the promises made during the Telangana Assembly elections, where the disabled community was assured free RTC travel and the filling of backlog jobs for persons with disabilities.
Rajesh also called for the establishment of a separate department for disability welfare, independent of the Women and Child Welfare Department. He urged the government to implement political reservations for persons with disabilities in local body elections, based on population proportion.
The protest saw participation of State vice-president of the organisation, Kolluri Eedayya Babu, district president Gogula Shekhar Reddy and district leader Pothuraju Sudheer and a host of others.
