Urging the government to increase monthly assistance for them, members of Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) stage a protest in front of the Collectorate here on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: G. Moorthy
Differently abled people, in association with the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC), staged a protest outside the District Collectorate here on Tuesday, demanding a hike in the monetary assistance granted to them by the State government.
S. Namburajan, All India working president, TARATDAC, said financial support was the most fundamental requirement for a dignified life of the differently abled.
“As a vast majority of the differently abled people do not get employment opportunities in government or private sectors, and banks are not willing to grant loans to start self-employment ventures, most of them are unemployed and struggle in poverty. In this situation, the financial assistance provided by the government is their only source of income,” he added.
In Tamil Nadu, the differently abled people with less than 75% disability were given ₹1,500, and those with 75% or more disability were given ₹2,000 as monthly assistance.
Given the current cost of living, the assistance provided by the government was by no means sufficient, he said, adding that it would not even be enough to buy essential medicines and tablets for them.
Furthermore, Mr. Namburajan argued, “When the State government boasts of delivering a social justice governance, the monthly assistance is not even close to the amount given in neighbouring States such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Haryana.
He said, “In Puducherry, the assistance ranged from ₹3,000 to ₹4,800 under five different categories; in Haryana, differently abled people receive ₹3,500; in Telangana, they get ₹4,000; in Andhra Pradesh, those with minimal disabilities receive ₹6,000, and those with severe disabilities are provided ₹10,000, and those with severe disabilities requiring high support receive ₹15,000 as monthly assistance.”
When Tamil Nadu held the second position in the list of developed States in India after Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, a State with much better assistance amount, was in the ninth position of the development index, he pointed out.
The stark contrast between the two States in their economic development and social development schemes itself displayed the respective governments’ priorities, Mr. Namburajan observed.
Though they had held several protests and agitations, the Tamil Nadu government’s inaction in not increasing their monthly monetary assistance even slightly had caused huge dissatisfaction and inconvenience to the differently abled people, he added.
Published – November 11, 2025 08:33 pm IST
