Srinagar: Scores of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) staged a protest in Kupwara district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir against authorities, expressing dissatisfaction over unmet promises and enduring hardships.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the protesters voiced concerns about the authorities’ failure to fulfill commitments made to PwDs in their election manifesto, highlighting a significant gap between promises and implementation.

Mushtaq Ahmad, a protester, stated, “We are struggling for our survival but the authorities concerned seem to be insensitive regarding our hardships. For years we have been demanding enhancement of pension from Rs 1000 to Rs 3000 but nothing is being done in this regard.”

The protesters called for the proper implementation of The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act) to ensure their rights are upheld.

Another protester pointed out the financial strain, saying, “Since most of the PwDs grapple about earning their livelihood, we are still forced to pay over Rs 780 monthly electricity bill, which has made things worse for us.”

Additionally, they demanded that the upper age limit for applying to government jobs for PwDs be increased to 48 years.