In a demonstration of advocacy, individuals with disabilities convened on a bustling thoroughfare in Chennai on Monday, staging a sit-in to press for the implementation of a directive stipulating a 1 percent reservation for visually impaired individuals in governmental employment opportunities.
Gathering at the Chatpet Bridge, the demonstrators occupied the roadway during peak traffic hours, causing disruptions for approximately thirty minutes as they underscored their demand for the expeditious enforcement of the aforementioned mandate by the Tamil Nadu administration.
Last year, the state government passed an edict earmarking 4 percent of government positions for individuals with disabilities, inclusive of a 1 percent allocation specifically designated for those with visual impairments.
In addition to their call for employment equity, the protesters articulated a series of supplementary demands, including an augmentation of the unemployment relief fund from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000, as well as an escalation of monthly assistance from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000, citing the imperative of mitigating the impacts of inflation.
Following the refusal of the demonstrators to disperse voluntarily, law enforcement officials intervened, effectuating the removal of the protesters from the site to mitigate the resulting traffic congestion.
While acknowledging the validity of the protesters' grievances, officials asserted that due to the voluminous nature of data necessitating meticulous scrutiny for the equitable allocation of jobs, the process encountered delays.
