Physically challenged protest for pension hike

Vijayawada: Members of the city committee of National Platform for Rights of Disabled (NPRD) staged a protest demonstration in front of Sub-Collector Office here on Monday demanding increase in pension for the disabled to Rs 2,000. Addressing the gathering, NPRD state unit joint secretary Lakshmi Narayana said that the State Government had deceived the disabled with its false promises. The State Government was offering a pension of Rs 500 to the disabled out of which Rs 200 was given by Central Government as its share. In the last budget session, the Central Government had increased its share to Rs 300. But the State Government had failed to provide the hiked amount. The southern States of Tamil Nadu and Kerala were giving Rs 1,500 per month as pension, he said. He demanded the officials to grant houses to the disabled under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme. He demanded the revenue department to issue Anthyodya ration cards to the disabled. The NPRD city secretary, B Sathi Babu, said that the government was neglecting the three per cent reservation to the disabled. The Government officials were acting as if they were paying the pension from their personal accounts, he resented and said it was the right of the disabled to get the benefits intended to them with dignity. The government was neglecting the welfare of disabled employees. Ramps should be constructed in all government offices, he demanded.