local BJP workers headed by the party leader Raghunath Singh Negi staged a demonstration at the Vikasnagar tehsil in support of their demand for increase in the pension amount provided to persons with more than 70 per cent disability who are dependent on others. The protesters raised the issue with the Sub Divisional Magistrate and submitted a memorandum stating their demand.
Negi stated that many of the persons with disabilities in the State are people with more than 70 per cent disability. Such persons are dependent on others and are provided a pension of `800 every month. This amount of pension given by the Government is inadequate, he stressed. Negi said, “The Government should identify such persons with disabilities to ascertain their actual numbers in the State. Some of the persons falling in this category are spending a considerable part of their life remaining bed-ridden.
Their parents or guardians often face challenges in trying to secure employment as they generally cannot afford to leave their wards with disabilities alone and unattended to for long. Apart from this, such persons in general also require constant or repeated medical treatment. It is important to note here that Government provides persons with general disabilities the benefit of reservation in jobs apart from various schemes of the Central and State Governments. However, the persons with major disability remaining bed-ridden have only the pension amount to sustain themselves. By increasing the pension amount for such persons, the government can provide considerable relief to them,” said Negi. He also said that a protest movement will be started if the Government doesn’t increase the pension amount for persons with major disability soon.