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Quota for the disabled from next year

Special Correspondent

3 per cent reservation in government jobs will be implemented, says Rangasamy

PONDICHERRY: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has said that the three per cent reservation for the physically challenged candidates in government jobs in the Union Territory would be implemented before end of January 2006. This would be in keeping with the Central Government's programme to help the handicapped.

Addressing the World Day of the Disabled organised by the Directorate of Social Welfare here on Saturday Mr. Rangasamy, who had earlier witnessed a near noisy scenes with a section of the audience raising slogans and counter slogans, said that his government would never let down the poor and the disabled persons. There was no need for agitation at all once the government was prepared to meet the expectations of all sections of people, he said.

Making a series of announcements covering the welfare of the physically challenged persons, the Chief Minister said the loans taken by them — Rs. 3.10 crores was due — from the Pondicherry Government-run Corporation for Women and Physically Handicapped People also stood waived with immediate effect in response to the plea made by the various associations.

The Chief Minister said that each of the 18,000 handicapped persons now getting monthly assistance would also be given rain coats and the monthly assistance itself would be raised by Rs. 250 to them.

Mr. Rangasamy said that the 10 kg free rice given to them every month would also be increased to 15 kg.

Lt. Governor M.M. Lakhera who distributed prizes and awards and also handed over specially-designed two-wheelers for the handicapped persons on the occasion said that he was really pained to see that a section of the audience had indulged in most discouraging manner by raising slogans and counter-slogans. "Had we intended we would have walked away from the function. But ultimately you [the handicapped persons] would be losers as you would not have opportunity to hear the Chief Minister come out with a number of welfare measures for you," a visibly embarrassed Lakhera said. He said that the physically-challenged persons should not dissipate their energy by indulging in politics. The administration was showing the way for the rest of the government in implementing various welfare schemes and one could hardly come across a State which showed as much care. A. Anbalagan, MLA, who spoke on the occasion said that the school for the disabled children run by the government should have sufficient number of teachers to handle the classes.

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