Stalin visits diff-abled boy at home

TIRUVANNAMALAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin, who arrived in Tiruvannamalai district to attend a series of functions, visited the house of a mentally affected 14-year-old boy and provided him with a special wheel chair costing Rs 15,000, on Friday.

Stalin, who was received at Tiruvannamalai border town of Kil Pennathur, visited the house of Elumalai a driver and his wife Tamilarasi, a daily wager and spent some time with their mentally disabled son Sivanandan (14).

Officials said that the beneficiary was helped by the department for the differently abled at various times and now with physiotherapy being provided at home, the boy was being readied for Class 10 exam. He had been provided Taylor’s brace, foot drop splint, walker and a knee brace earlier, officials added.

A monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for assistants of diffabled persons (high support need) would be provided from this month, officials said and added that under a scheme where beneficiaries could identify and choose their aids it was proposed to purchase Rs 16.77 crore aids for 8,436 beneficiaries.

Later, the Chief Minister inaugurated the state government’s Illam Thedi Kalvi scheme’s 2,00,000th centre at Aaranji village in Kil Pennathur taluk in Tiruvannamalai district.

The Chief Minister viewed a video on the scheme and released a book consisting scheme details and pictures, which was received by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. He also handed out awards to the winners of the reading marathon conducted in this connection.

Those present included Ministers EV Velu and Senji KS Masthan, MP CN Annadurai, Deputy Speaker K Pichandi, education secretary K Usha and Collector B Murugesh.