The North News
Shimla, January 5
Members of a visually impaired people’s organisation blocked a key road outside the Himachal Pradesh secretariat on Monday, accusing the state government of ignoring their demands despite weeks of protests. The demonstrators, who have been sitting on a relay protest outside the secretariat for the past 70 days, staged a chakka jam on Cart Road, disrupting traffic in the area. Protesters said repeated assurances from the authorities had failed to translate into concrete action.
Speaking to reporters, Rajesh Thakur, a member of the organisation, said that five persons with disabilities were sitting on protest every day outside the secretariat, even during severe winter conditions. He added that a separate protest by disabled persons near the Kali Bari temple had crossed 800 days.
He said that backlog vacancies for Class IV posts reserved for persons with disabilities had remained unfilled since 1995. He demanded that such posts be filled under the quota in departments including education, forests, public works and jal shakti. The organisation has also sought an increase in the monthly disability pension from ₹1,700 to ₹5,000. Protesters alleged that welfare measures such as the Sahara scheme and free bus passes had been withdrawn, further affecting persons with disabilities. Warning of an escalation, Thakur said that if the government failed to act soon, the agitation would be intensified, including a planned protest outside the chief minister’s official residence, Oak Over.
