JOIN USMLA seeks quota for disabled in private institutions
Addressing at the International Day for Disabled organised jointly by the District Administration, Women and Child Welfare Department, Disabled and Senior Citizens Welfare Department and Dakshina Kannada District Federation of Physically Challenged at the Town Hall here on Thursday, Khader said that laws should be amended to make government schemes accessible to disabled persons. “Though there are schemes for physically challenged people to own autorickshaws, road transport authority rules does not permit them to drive it,” he added.
Khader said that physically challenged people are being deprived of their rights while issuing ration cards. Authorities should issue BPL cards to physically challenged without considering their family members’ income, he urged.
Bus owners too should provide maximum facilities to disabled persons in buses on humanitarian grounds, MLA said and added that all public buildings should be made disabled-friendly.
Further, he called upon people to fill confidence and love in disabled persons. Speaking on the occasion, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activist Dr Annaiah Kulal said that it is not sympathy which disabled people expect from others. But at the same time, those disabled persons, who are capable of scaling greater heights, need only love and timely support. The World Disabled Day should be celebrated to create awareness in this direction, he emphasised.
Later, a felicitation programme was organised to honour disabled persons who made significant achievement in their lives. Prizes of various competitions and scheme benefits were also distributed on the occasion.
Zilla Panchayat President Santhosh Kumar Bhandary inaugurated the programme. Zilla Panchayat CEO P Shivashankar, Women and Child Welfare Department deputy director Shakunthala, District District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, SDM College of Business Management principal Prof K Devaraj, District Federation of Physically Challenged honourary president Subbaiah Shetty and Saannidhya School for Special Children director Vasanth Kumar Shetty and others were present on the occasion.