Official summoned for not issuing relief for PwD

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court took strong exception to the failure of the government to file a comprehensive report, including the steps taken to enable the physically challenged persons to avail adequate cash relief and food offered during the lockdown despite a lapse of two months since a direction was issued in this regard.

A division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha, before whom a batch of pleas moved came on Monday, expressed displeasure over not filing the comprehensive report despite direction.

The bench recorded the legal services authority counsel’s submission that collation of figures from districts revealed that only 52 per cent of physically challenged persons have been provided relief, and noted that the extent of those left out was alarming. It then directed the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities/Director for Welfare of the Differently Abled to appear on December 21 through video conferencing.

One of the pleas moved by L Muruganantham sought to provide to persons with disability free food items, vegetables and fruits and Rs 5,000 at their doorstep to cover their rent, loans, look after family members and other expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also submitted that there were as many as 11.79 lakh physically challenged persons in the State as per the 2011 Census. But the government had credited two months’ maintenance allowance as COVID relief to only 1.94 lakh disabled people, leaving nearly 9.5 lakh physically challenged people.