Manch to launch protest against govt via WhatsApp for disabled

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, August 8

Several differently-abled people from Punjab under the banner of the Apang Swang Lok Manch (Asul) will start ‘Thal-Khadkao’ andolan via Whatsapp from August 10 to August 20 in order to protest against the Congress government accusing them for making false pre-poll promises in its manifesto and ignoring the rights of disabled, mentally challenged, widows and senior citizens.

Addressing the media here today, state coordinator Asul Balwinder Singh said, “People of 500 villages of Punjab would be the part of this andolan. We will not block road and nor will we render any inconvenience to the common man, we have simply asked people to join ‘Thal-Khadkao’ by beating thalis and sending the video of our demands to the manch members on their whatsapp numbers which will be further sent to CM, MLA’s, MP’s and other higher officials.”

He further said there were close to 10 lakh disabled people in Punjab including blind, deaf, dumb, and physically-challenged, mentally retarded, among others, but only 4 lakh of them have been issued disability certificates by the government.

“There is simply no effort by the Congress government to identify them and issue certificates. Despite a list of 21 disabilities including mental and physical listed under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, they refuse to issue certificates or acknowledge some rare disabilities. Even out of 4 lakh, only 1.5 lakh are enrolled for pension. Also, since past few months, not a single penny has been credited in their accounts,” he added.

The andolan would start from Ferozpur on August 10 and will reach Chandigarh on August 15. Tarsem Jodha, another member of the Manch and a former MLA said, “Congress had promised to raise the pension of the disabled. Haryana and Chandigarh are offering Rs 2,000 as pension to the disabled and senior citizens. While it is Rs 2,500 in Delhi, in Punjab the people are getting a meagre amount of Rs 750.”

He also said a team of five members would go to Chandigarh to meet Captain Amarinder to demand a hike in pension and justice for the disabled and senior citizens.

“If bureaucrats get pension after 60 yrs of age, why are farmers, labourers and masons deprived of it? They are equally working for the growth of the state,” he added.

Along with hike in pension, equal rights and providing disability certificates to the people who have been left out, the manch also demanded that the disabled be given some jobs under the MNREGA at village level.