The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rs. 2-a-kg rice for disabled persons soon

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Monday, Dec 03, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rs. 2-a-kg rice for disabled persons soon

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh government has decided to provide rice at Rs. 2 a kg for all persons with physical disabilities from April next year.

The Government will include cochlear implants, the electronic device that restores partial hearing to the hearing-challenged in the Rajiv Arogya Sri health insurance scheme which will be extended to five more districts – Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda, Chittoor, East and West Godavari – from December 5. The scheme, enabling the poor to have access to corporate hospitals, is operational on a pilot basis in Mahabubnagar, Srikakulam and Anantapur districts.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy announced a series of sops on Sunday during his interaction with representatives of several organisations of the disabled. The meeting comes in the light of the demonstration staged by physically-challenged persons under the leadership of Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti president Manda Krishna Madiga who, however, was not present in protest against the Government refusal to convene an all-party meeting.

Dr. Reddy said steps had been initiated to constitute an exclusive society for juvenile and disabled persons that would have on its board a practising disabled person from the judiciary and representatives of voluntary organisations working for the disabled. Mandal Samakhyas were being constituted with the physically-challenged to ensure that they were given loans at three per cent interest (‘Pavala vaddi’).

The disabled were being enrolled for pensions under the Indiramma scheme based on saturation concept. The delegation comprised representatives from Differently Abled Employees’ Action Committee, AP StateVikalangula Hakkula Sadhana Samiti, Vikalang Maha Sanghathan, and Employees’ Welfare Association for Persons with Disabilities. They urged the Government to take steps to give promotions to disabled employees on a par with other categories. The requests of the physically-challenged should be considered during transfers to places where they would get the required support.

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