Telangana High Court passes strictures against government for ignoring differently-abled

Hyderabad: The High Court Bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy passed strictures on the government for ignoring the physically challenged people and not taking care of their needs.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation on the safety of differently-abled persons, people with disabilities during this Covid-19 pandemic.

The Bench pointed out that if the government does not have the money then make a statement that the government does not have Rs 10 crore to look after the physically challenged people. You cannot go on justifying the lack of action on the part of the government by holding that we are giving Rs 3,000 per month, 15 kgs rice every person, giving this and that to the physically challenged persons, the Bench said.

These physically challenged persons start falling victims of coronavirus, they do not have money to go for the treatment, they at the mercy of God, the CJ opined. Divya Devarajan, Secretary and Commissioner of Women, Child, Disabled and Senior Citizens department informed the bench that a special Critical and Emergency Fund is there for differently challenged people for medicines, etc.,

The Bench asked that how many people have contacted you about this fund, is there any helpline, is there any awareness regarding this emergency fund, what is the procedure to avail this fund. Where should one go in rural areas to claim? Till now how many applications received for medical requirements, CJ questioned.

Divya Devarajan informed the bench that she recently took charge of this department, will file a comprehensive report to the bench in the next hearing.

The CJ Bench directed her to file the comprehensive report by July 15 and the matter was adjourned to July 16.