Under the disability welfare scheme, the Thane Municipal Corporation has decided to distribute stalls to the physically disabled individuals. But the authorities in the distribution department have been harassing the handicapped applicants showing excuses for insufficient or incomplete documents. Owing to this harassment, representative of the Brihanmumbai Divyang Vikas Kamgar Sanghatana and Mohammad Yunus Faruq Khan, a member of Hamrahi Education and Charitable Trust met the Commissioner of the Disabled Welfare Balaji Manjule and lodged a written complaint against the TMC authorites. Manjule assured him to take appropriate action against the accused. A correspondence with the TMC will also be followed in this regard.
The letters for distribution of stalls have been given on December 3. The applicants have been asked then to deposit Rs 1000 and Rs 979 as rental amount and asked to contact the Estate department of TMC for signing an agreement. When the applicants approached the authorities, they have been ignored and bashed out of the office. The complainants are being avoided and harassed by the office bearers. Khan also mentions that the TMC has fallen for the political pressure and has distributed the stalls to the applicants close to politicians. The complaint also points out an illegal distribution of a stall to a so-called handicapped political leader.
Manjule ensured the committee that the complaint will be taken seriously and appropriate action would be taken against the accused. Action will also be taken against the culprits who repeatedly took benefits of the distribution process.
