<p>Bengaluru: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka">Karnataka </a>government's failure to provide a positive response to the grievance over the 80 per cent cut in funds for differently abled has prompted the National Federation of the Blind to launch a protest starting Monday at Freedom Park in Bengaluru.</p><p><em>DH</em> on November 29 reported on the slashing of funds from Rs 53 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 10 crore for 2024-25 for the delivery of various state schemes for the differently abled, from hearing aids, crutches and braille kits to wheelchairs and sewing machines.</p><p>The community is all the more worried as the financial year will end in the next four months. Bids have to be invited to supply the aids and the entire process requires at least two months, following which the aids are distributed to the needy. Meanwhile, the number of applications have been piling up.</p> .Karnataka govt slashes funds for differently-abled by 80%.<p>Gautam Agarwal, General Secretary of the Federation's Karnataka chapter, explained that they have been running from pillar to post for months but nothing has changed. </p><p>"We have already approached the chief minister, deputy chief minister, minister of our nodal department (Lakshmi Hebbalkar), chief secretary, additional chief secretary to the finance department...," Agarwal said in a note listing other major officers they had approached.</p><p>The federation has also submitted "E-representation" to "all 224" MLAs of Karnataka and even approached the Congress high command. "We also made an E-request to the top leadership of the Indian National Congress, including Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Mr Rahul Gandhi and Sri Mallikarjun Kharge for their due intervention with no response," he said.</p><p>The protest on Monday will begin at Freedom Park with a 'peaceful dharna' and will "continue till the honorable chief minister meets us and grants an audience on our grievances". The federation hopes that at least the protest will receive a positive response.</p> .<p>Besides the restoration of funds, the Federation demanded an increase in the monthly pension for the low-income persons with disabilities from the current Rs 1400 to Rs 3000, enhance scholarships and incentives, 5 per cent reservation in jobs as promised by the law (Right to Persons With Disability Act 2016), comprehensive accessibility as mandated by the law and other measures.</p><p>Agarwal said he had hoped that the DH report and media coverage that followed would help the government to change its mind. "We are protesting because all other efforts didn't help," he told <em>DH</em>.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka">Karnataka </a>government's failure to provide a positive response to the grievance over the 80 per cent cut in funds for differently abled has prompted the National Federation of the Blind to launch a protest starting Monday at Freedom Park in Bengaluru.</p><p><em>DH</em> on November 29 reported on the slashing of funds from Rs 53 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 10 crore for 2024-25 for the delivery of various state schemes for the differently abled, from hearing aids, crutches and braille kits to wheelchairs and sewing machines.</p><p>The community is all the more worried as the financial year will end in the next four months. Bids have to be invited to supply the aids and the entire process requires at least two months, following which the aids are distributed to the needy. Meanwhile, the number of applications have been piling up.</p> .Karnataka govt slashes funds for differently-abled by 80%.<p>Gautam Agarwal, General Secretary of the Federation's Karnataka chapter, explained that they have been running from pillar to post for months but nothing has changed. </p><p>"We have already approached the chief minister, deputy chief minister, minister of our nodal department (Lakshmi Hebbalkar), chief secretary, additional chief secretary to the finance department...," Agarwal said in a note listing other major officers they had approached.</p><p>The federation has also submitted "E-representation" to "all 224" MLAs of Karnataka and even approached the Congress high command. "We also made an E-request to the top leadership of the Indian National Congress, including Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Mr Rahul Gandhi and Sri Mallikarjun Kharge for their due intervention with no response," he said.</p><p>The protest on Monday will begin at Freedom Park with a 'peaceful dharna' and will "continue till the honorable chief minister meets us and grants an audience on our grievances". The federation hopes that at least the protest will receive a positive response.</p> .<p>Besides the restoration of funds, the Federation demanded an increase in the monthly pension for the low-income persons with disabilities from the current Rs 1400 to Rs 3000, enhance scholarships and incentives, 5 per cent reservation in jobs as promised by the law (Right to Persons With Disability Act 2016), comprehensive accessibility as mandated by the law and other measures.</p><p>Agarwal said he had hoped that the DH report and media coverage that followed would help the government to change its mind. "We are protesting because all other efforts didn't help," he told <em>DH</em>.</p>