NIZAMABAD: There are over 3,000 mentally challenged persons in the district as per the Government's statistics.

Disclosing this at a function conducted in connection with the World Mental Health Day at the District Legal Services Authority office here on Tuesday, Assistant Director, Disabled Welfare, A. Vishwanath appealed to voluntary organisations to come forward to set up schools for mentally unsound.

He said besides clinical treatment, they needed special schools for training.

The Government was also offering subsidies and other assistance for establishing such schools, he said.

Deputy IG, Anjanikumar, said no one should be discriminated in treatment because of his or her mental illness. After the advent of the Mental Health Act, persons suffering from mental illness should be treated as normal people. According to the Act, they should be provided with all protection. He, however, felt that it was difficult to make people accept the provisions of the Act. The police should have more social responsibility and sensitivity in the implementation of the Act.

Safeguards provided

Mangari Rajender, secretary, the District Legal Services Authority, said the mentally unsound people were prone to harm in the society. Therefore, the new Act provided them certain safeguards. Police as well as the civil society should behave responsibly towards them.

As per the legislation, mentally unsound personsshould be produced only before Judicial Magistrates and not before the Executive Magistrates. Efforts should be made to sensitise different sections of people over the Act.

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