Kerala - Kochi   

Visually challenged assert their rights

KOCHI: Nearly 500 visually challenged people met here on Sunday under the aegis of the Kerala Federation of the Blind to reassert their rights and demand their due from the government.

The federation demanded that pension paid to the visually challenged be raised from Rs.160 to Rs.600 and free education be provided to visually challenged children irrespective of the income of parents. Another demand was that the 275 vacancies in classes 3 and 4 in State services reserved for the visually challenged should be filled. This was the number of vacancies available by 2003-end, said a spokesman of the federation. Vacancies in the posts reserved for the visually challenged in classes 1 and 2 in State services have not been filled till 2006, he added.

At the meeting, Joseph Karikkassery, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Varappuzha, gave away awards and scholarships and awards to outstanding visually challenged people in the State.

K.J. Varghese was elected president of the federation and K.K. Rajan vice-president. K.R. Ouseph is the secretary. The federation is the single largest organisation representing the rights of visually challenged people in the State.

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