Ashoka condemns withholding of disability honorarium

CH NEWS, Bengaluru Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka has strongly condemned the withholding of monthly honorariums for persons with disabilities across Karnataka for the past five months. He demanded that the pending amount be released immediately and that the monthly honorarium be increased to ₹5,000, following the model depend on the honorarium to purchase medicines and meet essential monthly expenses, and that the delay has caused severe hardship adopted in Andhra Pradesh. Ashoka said withholding the assistance on the grounds of revision and verification was unacceptable, as revision is an ongoing administrative process. He pointed out that many persons with disabilities depend on the honorarium to purchase medicines and meet essential monthly expenses, and that the delay has caused severe hardship. He also expressed concern over the indefinite fast being staged near the Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner’s office by members of the Nava Karnataka MRW/VRW/URW Disability Honorarium Workers’ Association along with persons with disabilities. Ashoka said he had visited the protest site, received their memorandum and urged the government to respond immediately. Considering the health condition of those participating in the fast, he demanded that senior government officials visit the protesters, receive their memorandum and take steps to end the agitation. Demand for Job Security Ashoka has separately written to the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department seeking job security for around 6,000 MRW, VRW and URW workers who have reportedly served for nearly 19 years. He highlighted their important role in rural areas, particularly in connecting eligible beneficiaries with government schemes and services. Despite their long service, these workers continue to lack job security. Ashoka urged the government to examine their regularization in the Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens and place a proposal before the Cabinet. He also sought a fixed deadline for officials to act on these demands and requested that the government inform him in writing about the action taken. Key demands in the letter • Immediate release of the disability honorarium for all withheld months • Demand to raise the honorarium to ₹5,000 a month • Job security for about 6,000 MRW/VRW/URW workers; suggestion that a proposal to regularize them in the department be submitted to the Cabinet • Demand that a deadline be fixed for the Revenue Department • Demand that senior officials visit the Ramanagara fast site and receive the memorandum