Differently-abled persons protest against official apathy, detained

The members participated in a protest march to the Secretariat when they were arrested near Egmore and later released.

The association members claimed that their protest was against the failure to appoint a civil court judge under the Department of Welfare of Differently Abled Persons for the guardianship of people with disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.

The members allege that despite the law, the authorities under the Department of Welfare of Differently Abled Persons have not framed the draft for the implementation of various provisions under the Act.

The members of TARATDAC allege that as per the regulations, people with disability should get 25 per cent extra share in social security schemes and 5 per cent in the whole amount should be dedicated for their well-being. However, they claimed that the State government is not practicing the same.

The Act also provides for 4 per cent reservation in vacancies in government establishments for certain persons or class of persons with benchmark disability.

“We were promised that our demands will be considered by the department and even High Court order was in our favour that a civil judge should be appointed and all the provisions under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 should be given. Despite the State government passing a GO for the appointment of the department head in 2018, the appointment has not been made,” said Namburajan, member of TARATDAC.

According to the association, a 5 per cent quota should be given to people with disabilities in educational institutions, but as against the 129 seats in MBBS for differently-abled, only 27 seats were given to special category, whereas other seats were put under the Central quota, he added. The association members said that TARATDAC will continue the protest and convey the issue to the responsible authorities in the Secretariat.

At least 1,800 members of the association were detained by the police on Thursday afternoon and released later in the evening.