Pongal gift: TARATDAC seeks 25 percent additional cash

In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, the association alleged that despite the Government Order that directed 25 per cent additional amount to be paid to those with disabilities in schemes such as poverty alleviation, officials from the Revenue department have not been paying it.

When asked, the officials told them that the that the cash amount of Rs 1,000 being given to the people of the State for Pongal celebrations does not come under any social security scheme.

According to Namburajan, the State government has granted the additional amount for differently abled persons for social security schemes run by the Rural Development department. Though the Revenue department has claimed that the Pongal cash distribution was not a social security scheme, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami himself has said that it was a poverty alleviation scheme, he added.

“This makes it as a social security scheme and the differently abled people should be given a provision of additional amount,” contended S Namburajan, State general secretary of the association.

In the letter addressed to the Chief Minister, he added that as per the orders, the government should formulate necessary schemes and programmes to safeguard and promote the rights of persons with disabilities. However, such provisions were not being provided, theassociation said.

Earlier, TARATDAC had protested over the same issue, urging the officials of the Department of Welfare of Differently Abled Persons to take action. However, the association alleged that their demands were not being considered by the government.