Disabled Rights Forum has demanded that the Congress-led Central government introduce the Disabled Rights Bill 2013 in Parliament in the current session and render justice to the five crore-odd physically handicapped persons in the country.
Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, DRF State president Kolli Nageshwara Rao, general secretary P. Narsing Rao, secretary P. Srinivas, women wing leader Uma and B. Ramchander appealed to all the national political parties to lend their support to the Disabled Rights Bill in Parliament. The DRF leaders said they have been agitating for their rights since 2007 and after a long drawn struggle, the Union government had agreed to implement the UNO approved Disabled Rights Agreement and formulated the Bill in August last year after a series of meetings.
However, due to the step-motherly attitude of the Union government towards the physically handicapped, the bill was not tabled in Parliament so far, the DRF leaders said. They also explained that the Disabled Rights Bill mentions about the rights of the disabled, decent living, self-respect, political reservation, financial security and so on.
The DRF leaders once again demanded that the Centre solve the problems of the disabled and pay a monthly pension of Rs 2,500, self-employment opportunities to the eligible and bring a law to prosecute those ill-treat the disabled persons. They urged the government to shed negligence and initiate steps for their welfare sincerely. (NSS)