Hundreds of disabled people from all over the state have started converging in the city to protest against government apathy in fulfilling promises made to them. According to Prahar Sanghatana, which has independent MLA Bachoo Kadu as its patron, a huge protest would be held on October 2 at Azad Maidan in which thousands of disabled people, along with aggrieved farmers from Vidarbha, would participate. Mr Kadu has said that after the protest, the protesters will not budge till their demands are met and the government assures them quick action. According to advocate Ajay Tapkeer, spokesperson of the organisation, the government had given an assurance that it would take action within a month on their list of 18 demands. However, the files pertaining to 15 different departments were still stuck in bureaucratic hassles, as a result of which nothing became of them when the time period ended on September 27. Citing the hassles they face, Mr Tapkeer said that the file demanding a hostel for disabled students in each district had to go through the departments of social justice, finance, education and GAD. It was stuck with the secretary of some department and hence got no response. Similarly, the file demanding the provision of a cash incentive to disabled persons marrying able-bodied persons had also become a victim of departmental neglect. “The file of demands of the farmers from Vidarbha has also faced a similar fate,” added Mr Tapkeer. “The organisation has more than 50,000 registered handicapped persons from all over the state and many of them have started converging in Mumbai to join the protest. They will also be joined by scores of farmers. These protesters will not move out of the city after the protest, unless the government gives them a timeline by when their demands will be fulfilled,” said Mr Kadu.
