Mysuru: “The State Government is making all efforts to implement the various schemes meant for persons with disabilities and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy himself has lot of care and concern for such people,” said Higher Education Minister G.T. Devegowda.

He was speaking after inaugurating ‘International Day of Disabled Persons,’ organised by the District Administration, ZP, Department for Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, Women and Child Welfare, Vikala Chetana Abhyudaya and other NGOs at P. Kalinga Rao Auditorium in Dasara Exhibition Grounds.

“The CM is working hard for the welfare of disabled persons and people should use all the government programmes meant for their benefit,” he said.

MLA Tanveer Sait said, “I know a lot of sacrifice is made by the family in which a disabled person is born. My own niece was disabled and she lived for 40 years and passed away. What they require is self-belief and a lot of confidence,” he said.

“There are 64,000 people with disabilities in Mysuru but there are only three government educational institutions to serve them and 23 NGOs rendering service. Hence, more such institutions have to be opened to cater to the special children,” he said.

Senior Judge and Member of District Legal Service Authority C. G. Mohammad Muzeerulla said that the disabled persons are not in a position to fight for their rights and hence the ordinary people should also join them in the fight.

There are protests by the disabled persons as their rights have been curtailed, he added.

Additional Deputy Commissioner T. Yogesh, Women and Child Welfare Department Deputy Director K. Rekha and others were present.

Stage protest

Nearly 25 disabled persons on three-wheelers under the banner of Vikala Chetana Abhyudaya staged a protest by taking  out a march from Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple near the Mysore Palace to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and presented a memorandum urging for the fulfilment of their various demands.

Later, they entered the Dasara Exhibition Grounds and staged a protest even as  Higher Education Minister G.T. Devegowda was addressing the gathering during International Day of Disabled Persons.

Their demands include, a separate colony to be earmarked for them by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority, the District Administration should sanction houses for them, implement the Rights of Persons with Disablities Act 2016, ask the Mysuru City Corporation to permit persons with disabilities to run petty shops by issuing them licences, open therapy and yoga kshema centres.

Convenor Dilip, President M. Prafulswamy, Secretary Asgar Pasha and others were present.