Differently abled persons stage a protest at Freedom park in Bengaluru on Monday against the state government decision to reduce 80 per cent budget for providing them aids and appliances .
Credit: DH Photo/B K Janardhan
Bengaluru: Differently-abled persons, mostly visually impaired, launched a protest amid the incessant rain on Monday to protest against the 80 per cent cut in funding for the aids and appliances.
Led by the National Federation of the Blind, the protesters sat under the rain which poured through the synthetic marquee erected 50 metres away from the plastic flex-covered arch inviting people to celebrate Bengaluru Habba.
"We won't give up. Not till we get justice," they chanted, asking the government to restore the budget allocations and address nine other demands.
Gautam Agarwal, general secretary of the federation's Karnataka chapter, said they are being forced to protest because the government has failed to give "any positive response" to the matter of cutting funds to the from Rs 53 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 10 crore for 2024-25 as reported by DH on November 29.
The reduction has hit the delivery of aids and appliances like hearing aids, crutches, braille kits and talking laptops to students.
"We have met senior officials in the government and heard no positive response. The minister and chief minister are unreachable. We are here today because the government is not responding to any of our demands," Agarwal said.
Apart from the increase in budget allocations, the protesters are demanding the government to increase the monthly pension to the low-income persons with disabilities from Rs 1400 to at least Rs 3000, increase scholarships, provide 5 per cent reservation in all state sponsored schemes for allotment of residential houses and industrial sites as per the law, implement reservation in promotion, expand grant-in-aid scheme to support service activities, comprehensive accessibility, protection from violence, protection during natural and man-made disasters and special casual leave to persons with disabilities.
'Minister's statement misleading'
Agarwal refuted Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar's statement that it was normal for funds to be enhanced during supplementary budget.
"If that's the case, why was the department forced to send the file three times seeking more funds? The minister is only trying to save her face. The statement, however, is misleading," he said.
He added that last year, the funds were released in one tranche but the procurement process was delayed. "Even if the minister is telling the truth, why was this not told to us during our interaction with the government all these weeks," he asked.