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Government to call for tender to distribute rice to disabled

PUDUCHERRY: Social Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy said that the government planned to call for tenders to distribute rice to the disabled. Quality rice would be procured from the open market, he said.

He was speaking at the inauguration of a sports meet for the disabled organised by the Social Welfare Department at Uppalam Indira Gandhi Stadium here on Friday.

The Minister said that the tender would be called by the BC Corporation. Each month the department distributed 15 kg of rice each to the disabled. It had received complaints that the rice being supplied by PAPSCO was of poor quality and was also distributed irregularly.

Mr. Kandasamy said that he had directed the officials concerned to check whether all government departments were implementing three per cent reservation for the disabled.

The government planned to distribute a bonus of Rs. 500 each to the disabled in the Union Territory from the next ‘Deepavali,’ he said. About 20,000 people would benefit from this.

This year, the government had not allocated money for this in the budget, he said. Uppalam MLA A. Anbalagan, who presided over the function, said that the government should take steps to implement 3 per cent reservation for the disabled in its departments. The Central government had identified 23 different posts such as dispatch clerk and lift operators that could be filled up by the disabled, he said.

The MLA called for the setting up of a high-level committee to oversee filling of vacancies in government and private sectors. He also sought that a welfare board be set up for the disabled.

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