Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangstha to Observe Black Day Today

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangstha, Assam (PSSA) will observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities as the Black Day on Monday in protest against Dispur’s alleged callousness towards solving various genuine grievances of the differently-abled persons in the State.

PSSA general secretary Nripen Malakar on Sunday told reporters that the association will boycott all programmes related with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in protest against the State Government’s failure to take action against the police personnel who were involved in the atrocity on differently abled persons during a protest of the PSSA at Last Gate here on October 5. The organization had earlier set December 1 as the deadline for Dispur to take necessary action against the accused police personnel.

The PSSA will hold a protest rally at Dighalipukhuri on Monday.

“Forget about taking actions against the guilty police personnel the present regime at Dispur has even failed to address the basic minimum needs of differently abled persons. The government has not paid the monthly remuneration to differently abled persons since April, 2018. How can we survive without getting such remuneration?” Malakar said.

The PSSA has also demanded publication of an advertisement for a recruitment drive against 4,419 posts reserved for disabled persons of the State lying vacant in various government departments.

Earlier, the State government had formulated an action plan to start the recruitment drive and planned to initiate the process within September this year. The action plan was based on the decision taken during a high-level meeting between Social Welfare Minister Pramila Rani Brahma and high officials had with representatives of Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangstha, Dristihin Parishad and Dristihin Chatra Sanstha on August 2. But the PSSA alleged that the State government has not taken any initiative to implement the action plan.

Also read: ‘Dispur failing to solve disabled person ’s problems’ alleges Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangstha