The police and district administration were in for anxious moments on Tuesday when one differently-abled agitator made a self-immolation bid near the State Secretariat. The police, however, foiled his attempt and arrested 28 agitators. Under the banner of Nanda Devi Nirdhan Vikalang Kalyan Samiti, the differently abled persons organised a Secretariat March programe on Tuesday. They gathered at the protest site near Old Raipur bus stand in support of their 13-point demands and proceeded towards the Secretariat. The police personnel stopped them from going further at Kanak Chowk which infuriated some of the agitators. To the shock of everyone one of the agitators Yogendra Kargi poured kerosene over himself and threatened immolation by taking out a match box. The policemen deployed on the duty swooped into action and prevented him from the immolation bid. The police arrested the agitators and took them to Suddhowala Jail from where they were not released till the time of filing this story.
The differently abled are demanding that the State Government should increase their pension from present Rs800 per month to Rs3000 per month. They want that the State Government should make a provision of their job under the 3 percent backlog disabled quota from 2006.They are also demanding that they should be allowed to travel free in all types of buses of State transport department. The other demands are issuance of identity cards by the department of family welfare, through scrutiny of the social organisations working in the field of disability to prevent irregularities, easy loans for three wheeled scooter and making the pension online.
The State president of the association Naeem Ansari said that the differently abled would continue their agitation till their demands are met with. The SHO of Dalanwala Police station Anil Joshi said that the police arrested 25 male and 3 female members of the association and booked them under section 151 and 109 of IPC.