Rehabilitation workers stage protest

DEMANDING FACILITIES - Deputy Commissioner Gurneet Tej Menon receiving a memorandum from Karnataka Rajya Vikalachetanara hagu Vividodesha and district Association in Yadgir on Friday.

Kakalwar News: Friday, 16 March 2012

Yadgir: Demanding fulfillment of their various demands, rehabilitation workers for rural physically challenged under the aegis of Karnataka Rajya Vikalachetanara hagu Vividodesha and district Association of Rural Rehabilitation Workers staged a protest in Yadgir on Friday.

The State government, with an objective to rehabilitate the physically challenged persons from rural areas under the Rehabilitation Scheme for the rural physically challenged had appointed workers in 2007-08.

Workers who had passed their graduation degrees were offered Rs. 1,800 and SSLC pass were offered Rs. 700 as honorarium. However, the Directorate of the Physically Challenged and Senior Citizens has failed to provide any guidance or training to the workers.

But the workers have been holding surveys, workshops and other such programmes for the physically challenged people regularly. They are also helping the disabled people to seek identity cards, said Association office bearers.

“The rehabilitation workers have worked for implementing various schemes. But they have no service security. An indefinite protest demanding this was held on November 22, 2010 in Bangalore. Then the principal secretary of the government had assured of fulfilling the demand. But the government did not keep its words”, they said.

Demands

They demanded that MRW and VRW provide minimum wages, service security, health insurance, and provident fund for the rehabilitation workers. They also demanded to extend the Scheme meant for the rural physically challenged to disabled people coming under Town Panchayat limits.

A Separate Corporation for the development of the physically challenged should be set up. Compensation should be given to the family of the workers if the worker meets with an accident. A reservation of 5 percent should be provided to the physically challenged persons in politics, they urged.

Association district unit President Sanjeevappa Nagral, Vice-president Gafursab Hotapet, Gajalappa Yadgir, Malikarjun Shahapur and others were present.

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