The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Differently-abled end stir

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Wednesday, Nov 28, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Differently-abled end stir

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: After spending the night staging a sit-in near Babu Jagjivan Ram’s statue at Basheerbagh here, differently-abled persons called off their stir on Tuesday afternoon amid high drama following an assurance by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to convene an all-party meeting on December 2 to discuss their demands.

Tension mounted at the camp in the morning after the arrival of two Ministers N. Rajyalakshmi (Disabled Welfare) and M. Mukesh (Backward Classes Welfare) and Hyderabad Collector R. V. Chandravadan, to mediate with Manda Krishna, president of Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS), who is leading the stir. On seeing the Ministers, some differently-abled persons doused themselves with kerosene and threatened to immolate themselves. Some of it spilled on the Ministers and the Collector who beat a quick retreat as the agitators said they were unwilling to hold talks unless the Government agreed to enhance the monthly pension for the differently-abled from Rs. 200 to Rs 1,500 and provide seven per cent reservation in employment and education against three per cent now.

Ms. Rajyalakshmi, who had to return to her residence, told reporters in the Secretariat that the agitators were “blackmailing” the Government by brandishing kerosene bottles. She ruled out the possibility of a hike in pension and reservation without proper discussions. She said there was no need for an all-party meeting as demanded by the differently-abled as the onus for solving their problems lay with the Government.

An hour later, the Chief Minister, however, announced his decision to convene an all-party meeting on December 2 to discuss the problems. The agitators immediately called off their stir and dispersed, much to the relief of the police who remained helpless despite the traffic snarls caused by the gathering around the statue.

Camp office

The Chief Minister, convalescing from his eye operation, monitored the situation from his camp office. He said in a press note that the Government was committed to welfare of the differently-abled, citing enhancement of pension to them to Rs. 200 from Rs. 75 a month, and removal of age bar in their case for sanction of the pension.

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