Srinagar, Dec 3,: On World Disability Day, members of the Jammu Kashmir Handicapped Association staged a protest in Srinagar on Wednesday, pressing the government to fulfil long-pending demands related to social security, financial relief and legal safeguards.
The protestors assembled at Press Enclave Srinagar, carrying placards and banners seeking justice and highlighting issues faced by people with disabilities. They raised slogans demanding immediate attention to what they described as neglect and discrimination.
Speaking to the news agency Kashmir News Trust on the sidelines of the protest, association president Abdul Rashid Bhat alleged that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, though implemented across the country, had not been enforced in Jammu and Kashmir in its true spirit.
“The Disability Act was implemented in other states years ago but not here. We are still waiting for our legal rights to be recognised on the ground,” Bhat said.
He also criticised the existing pension amount for disabled persons, terming it inadequate in the present economic conditions. “Our monthly pension is only Rs 1250, which is nothing in this era of inflation. We demand that it should be enhanced to at least Rs 3000,” he added.
Highlighting economic hardships, Bhat demanded interest-free loans for those with disabilities to enable them to earn a living with dignity. “We should be provided with interest-free loans so that we can start small businesses and stand on our own feet,” he said.
The association also sought special concessions on essential commodities, including a reduction in LPG prices for disabled individuals.
“We are only given assurances. Nothing changes on the ground,” Bhat alleged, warning that if their demands were not met, the association would launch an indefinite agitation outside the Jammu Assembly secretariat.
The protest concluded peacefully, with demonstrators reiterating their resolve to intensify the movement until concrete measures are announced by the administration. [KNT]
