Physically challenged persons staging a road roko at Vannarpettai in Tirunelveli on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN
Seeking increased monthly assistance and better opportunity in education and employment, members of Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) staged road roko here on Tuesday.
The protesting physically challenged persons said the Tamil Nadu Government, which was giving ₹1,500 for the differently abled as monthly assistance, was giving ₹2,000 for the severely affected beneficiaries. It should be increased to ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 respectively based on the nature of disability as being given by Andhra Pradesh Government, the protestors said.
They said the UN Special Declaration and the Centre’s Physically Challenged Rights Act 2016 had guaranteed dignified living conditions for the differently abled by ensuring level playing field for them in education, employment, social security, healthcare, rehabilitation etc.
Even as the paltry monthly assistance meant for the differently abled is being given by the State Government, the Union Government’s contribution of ₹300 which was fixed 16 years ago by then Congress Government was not hiked under the BJP government that assumed office in 2014.
After the BJP government drastically cut the allocation of funds for implementing the welfare schemes for the differently abled, they were not considered for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee programme, the protestors said.
The arrested protestors were released in the evening.
Published – February 10, 2026 06:39 pm IST
