SRINAGAR: Members of the Jammu Kashmir Handicapped Association staged a protest in Srinagar on Wednesday, marking World Disability Day with calls for the full implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and enhanced social and financial support for people with disabilities in the Union Territory.
Protestors gathered at the Press Enclave, carrying placards and shouting slogans, accusing the administration of persistent neglect. They said that despite the Disability Act being in force across the country, its provisions had not been properly executed in Jammu and Kashmir.
Association president Abdul Rashid Bhat said that disabled citizens continued to face systemic discrimination due to the non-enforcement of legal safeguards. He said the present monthly pension of Rs 1250 for persons with disabilities was “grossly inadequate” and urged the government to raise it to Rs 3000. Bhat further demanded interest-free loans to support small businesses and livelihood opportunities, along with concessions on essential commodities such as LPG.
He accused authorities of offering only verbal assurances and warned that the association would launch an indefinite agitation outside the Jammu Assembly secretariat if the administration failed to act. The demonstration ended peacefully, with protestors vowing to intensify their campaign until concrete measures are introduced.
