Differently abled people demands separate directorate

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, August 30, 2018:  Demanding to create a separate directorate for persons with disabilities members of State Platform of People’s Disabled Organisation, Manipur today thronged at the social welfare department complex and staged sit-in at the department building entrance.

A delegation of the organisation on July 25 People’s day met the chief minister N. Biren Singh at his official bungalow and submitted a memorandum over their grievances, said Md. Yunus Khan, president of the organisation.

The memorandum appealed to create a separate directorate for persons with disabilities and to reconstitute state advisory board for disabilities in the state as per the RPD Act 2016 within August 25.

It demanded to frame State Disability Policy and to channelize the rights to Persons with Disability Act 2016; to sanction or give out the Disability Old Age Pension which has been pending since 2016; to give Skill Development Training Programme for the persons with disabilities in the state at the earliest; to create accessibility in all the public and private buildings as per the RPD Act 2016 under Section 40 to 46; and to amend and include disable game and sports in the State budget Policy to reconstitute Manipur State Paraolympic committee with the representative of the disable organization for better functioning in the state.

We have submitted several memorandums to the government before this. We have cautioned to take up agitations if our demands are not fulfilled. Still we do not get any reply resorting to agitation, said Yunus.

We are shocked at silence of the government. We don’t need the Chief Minister gi Hakshelgi Tengbang. We have the right to get free medical care according to the rights provided by Right to Persons with Disability Act 2016. Under the act we have the right to education, right to get caregiver allowance, skill training, sports, jobs, etc. Please stop taking advantages by renaming schemes, said Yunus.

If the government fails to fulfill our demand or give a written assurance to fulfill our demand we will launch blockades. We disables are also able to call bandhs and blockades, he added.

“There is no one in the world who wants to be a disabled person. We are also human,” said Yunus.

The director of the social welfare department Jacintha Lazarus told the agitators that the department is working at its best to fulfil with various provisions and to calm the agitators.