Hundreds of physically-challenged persons today protested at the state secretariat here for alleged under-payment of allowance to a visually-impaired couple under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojna (SGNY).
The protesters alleged that the couple was supposed to get Rs 1,200 (Rs 600 each), but was given Rs 900 only.
The protest was organised by the Wangani-based National Foundation of Visual Impaired Persons.
As the protesters gathered at the Secretariat gate, they started singing 'bhajans' and raised slogans against Maharashtra government, even as the police personnel tried to stop their protest.
The police officers led the agitators to Under Secretary of Social Justice department Rajesh Mohite, who assured them a meeting with Minister of State for Social Justice Dilip Kamble on October 4.
According to the Association's President Sambhaji Badar, earlier the allowance of SGNY was deposited in their bank accounts directly.
"Since last four years, the state has appointed a top private sector bank to disburse the allowance using biometric proofs. It becomes very hectic for us as a bank personnel comes in the village for two or three days," Badar said.
"Many a times, normal persons get their allowance with priority and visually-impaired persons are left behind," he claimed.
Badar also claimed that in one case, a beneficiary visually-impaired women was forced to come with her 13-day-old child to collect cash as the officials did not give it to her husband.
Badar claimed that a bank employee distributed only Rs 900 for a visually impaired couple that should have got Rs 1,200.
Badar demanded that their allowance should be deposited directly in their bank accounts.
He threatened to block traffic in the city if the Minister does not resolve their issues in the next meeting.
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