Physically challenged people demand welfare schemes

Aizawl, Oct 27(UNI) Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Manoj Kumar will visit Mizoram on Monday to discuss the condition of the differently abled persons in the state and urge the government to initiate welfare schemes for them.

Unhappy with the state government's lackadaisical attitude towards the physically challenged people, he will open a mobile court for them here.

According to the 'Differently-abled Society of Mizoram', the state government is yet to implement the Mizoram Persons with Disabilities(Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Rules, 1999, which provides at least three per cent job reservations in different government services.

The physically challenged persons have alleged that they are not even aware of what they are entitled to and what kind of help the Centre can provide them.

Among others accusations, they also voiced concern over the inaccessibility to most government offices and public places with wheelchairs and absence of auditory signals for visually-impaired persons.

One of them, on condition of anonymity, has even accused the banks for denying him a Pradan Mantri Razgar Yajona loan, despite of being selected by the loan board.

UNI