Panaji: In a scathing attack, the Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao on Friday said that the insensitive BJP government has ignored the demand of People with Disabilities (PwD) to help them by providing financial assistance and demanded that they should be helped at the same speed at which MLAs were benefited with a salary hike.
Alemao said that despite the government giving him an assurance in the assembly session to hike the assistance for PwDs, it has failed to keep its word.
“Insensitive BJP Government was quick enough to hike salary, incentives, and perks of MLAs but has ignored the long-pending demand of People with Disabilities for financial assistance. The Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) has also raised this issue, but the government has not paid heed to their demand. This is unacceptable,” Alemao said.
He said that the government had announced it would increase the monthly assistance under the Disability Social Security (DSS) scheme from Rs 2,000 to Rs 6,000, but it has failed to fulfill the promise.
“It was also promised that persons with disabilities exceeding 80% would receive Rs 8,000. But this government is not bothered to help them. This suggests that administration and governance have collapsed in the state, with BJP only focusing on events and EDMs which give commissions,” Alemao charged.
“How can this heartless government call itself a provider of good governance when it has failed to help People with Disabilities? It even has no right to boast about development when it is pushing PwDs into misery,” Alemao said.
The Congress leader said that it is shameful that the BJP government is turning a blind eye to such issues and focusing more on boasting about things that have not benefited the public.
“It failed in giving unemployment dole to our youths and also a dole to PwDs,” Alemao said.
