5000 mentally-challenged people to participate in conference

Chennai, Feb 20 (UNI) About 5,000 mentally-challenged people from various parts of Tamil Nadu would gather here to take part in the one-day conference on 'the right to life of mentally challenged persons' on February 26.

Talking to mediapersons here today, All India Confederation of Organisations for Persons with Mental Disability (AICOPM), secretary Namburajan said the conference spread over three sessions would analyse the contributions and challenges of NGOs in their respective region.

About 250 NGOs from all the district of the state were expected to participate in the conference, he added.

The conference would also urge the government to hike the monthly maintenance grant given to mentally-ill child from the present Rs 400 presently to Rs 1000, he said adding ''We will also demand that the recognised NGOs, especially those involved in rehabilitating the mentally-challenged persons need to be empowered by the state with necessary grants.'' ''The conference was sure to draw thousands of parents of disabled persons from far flung districts of Tamil Nadu,'' he said.

According to AICOPM, currently around 200 special schools across the state for mentally-challenged children were languishing without recognition from the state government.

Presently, there were about three lakh mentally-ill persons in Tamil Nadu, against the 2001 census of just 1,27,521 persons. Out of every 100 child born, between 3 to 5 children were mentally disabled, a statistics of AICOPM said.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Social Welfare Minister Dr Poongothai, CPM state secretary N Varadharajan, Editor-in-chief of The Hindu N Ram, among others, were expected to participate in the conference.

UNI