Differently abled people demand hike in monthly assistance

Members of the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) staged a road picketing protest near Periyar Bus Stand on Tuesday, urging the State government to immediately address their charter of demands.

The demonstrators pointed out a stark disparity in welfare support, noting that while Tamil Nadu provides a monthly pension of ₹1,500 for general disability and ₹2,000 for severe disability, neighbouring States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Puducherry offer significantly higher assistance, ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹10,000.

“Many of us are physically unable to perform daily chores or hold regular jobs. The current State assistance is meant to be a lifeline, yet it falls short of what is needed to sustain a basic standard of living,” said Balamurugan, district secretary of TARATDAC.

He emphasised that the rising cost of essential commodities—particularly staples like rice—has pushed the differently-abled community into a precarious financial state, making survival increasingly difficult.

To rescue the community from this hardship, the association urged the Tamil Nadu government to revise the monthly assistance to ₹6,000 for those with standard disabilities, ₹10,000 for severe disabilities, and ₹15,000 for bedridden individuals.