Notice to TN govt on financial aid to disabled

The Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of all Types of Differently Abled and Care givers (TARTDAC) represented by its Secretary S Namburajan challenged the order on the grounds that it does not fulfil the statutory provision dictating that the quantum of assistance extended to the differently abled has to be at least 25 per cent higher than what is applicable to others.

Justice K Ravichandra Babu, before whom the plea came up for hearing on Tuesday, ordered a notice returnable by four weeks.

TRATDAC had submitted that the State government, through its rural development department, had issued a GO on February 13, 2019 for providing a financial assistance of Rs 2,000 to persons belonging to Below Poverty Line.

But the said GO does not fulfil the statutory provision provided under section 24(1) of the Rights of persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which expressly states that the quantum of assistance provided to persons with disabilities under such schemes and programmes shall be at least 25 per cent higher than what is applicable to others. Similarly, section 37 (b) provides five percent reservation in all schemes to women with benchmark disabilities.

Advocate K C Karl Marx appearing for the petitioner submitted that the authorities ought to ‘implement the statute scrupulously’.

He also cited Section 80 of the Act which says that the State Commissioner for Welfare of Differently Abled, ought to identify the policy or programme that are inconsistent with the Act and recommend remedial steps. But, till date, authorities have failed to respond to the representation sent on February 21, 2019.