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CHENNAI: Thousands of persons with disabilities and members of the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) staged protests across various locations in the state on Monday, demanding that the monthly financial assistance provided to differently-abled persons be increased to at least Rs 6,000.
As part of the protest, members laid siege to district collectorates across the state, urging the government to substantially enhance the assistance to meet rising living costs and basic necessities. Several protesters detained by the police following the demonstrations were kept in public halls.
In the city, over 200 protesters gathered at the Commissionerate for the Welfare of the Differently Abled.
According to official data, Tamil Nadu has around 14 lakh persons with disabilities, of whom over 9 lakh receive monthly financial assistance from the government. Until 2022, the assistance stood at Rs 1,000 for those with disability below 75 per cent and Rs 1,500 for those above the threshold. Following sustained demands and protests, the government increased the assistance by Rs 500 for both categories in 2022.
However, TARATDAC said the current assistance remained inadequate and comparatively lower than that provided in several other states and union territories. Monthly assistance is reportedly above Rs 4,000 in Delhi, Haryana and Telangana, while Puducherry provides Rs 5,500. In Andhra Pradesh, the assistance ranges from Rs 6,000 to Rs 15,000 depending on the extent of disability.
"We have been demanding a hike in assistance for five years. The reality is that, even though governments may change, there is still no government that listens to the voices and demands of persons with disabilities," said a member of TARATDAC.
It must be noted that a similar protest was held in February across the state with similar demands, and the protestors were attacked and arrested by the police, including in Chennai.