Prahar Apang Kranti Andolan agitates against PMC, demands fulfillment of promises

The group demands setting up Divyang Bhavan and Divyang Kalyan Samiti consisting of the Mayor, Municipal Commissioner, and other senior officials along with divyaangs(disabled people).

The group is also demanding the construction of a ramp and a lift facility at all government buildings. (Express Photo)

Prahar Apang Kranti Andolan, a Pune-based group of disabled activists, staged an agitation in front of the main PMC building on Wednesday over non–fulfillment of demands promised to it in the earlier meetings. The protest was in continuation of earlier agitations carried out against the Corporation.

The day-long Rasta Roko Andolan saw in attendance over 80 disabled people blocking the road in front of the PMC building. The six-hour-long agitation ended in the evening after the intervention of senior corporation officials. The officials agreed to look into the demands addressed to Mayor Murlidhar Mohol and Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar by March 4 this year.

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Rafique Khan, spokesperson of the city-based NGO said, “We started our agitation around 10 AM outside the PMC building. Despite constant pressure from the police, we continued with our agitation. It ended only after senior corporation officials met us and promised to fulfill our demands by next month.”

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The NGO demands include crediting unspent PMC budget allotted for Person with Disabilities(PWD) directly into the accounts of people including the funds allocated for free bus passes to PMPML.

“We’ve found out through RTI that PMC provides Rs 2,50,000 lakhs per day to PMPML for free passes for disables. This money is of no use to us as we don’t travel by bus. So it would be better to transfer directly into our account after verifying the identity,“ Khan added.

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The group demands setting up Divyang Bhavan and Divyang Kalyan Samiti consisting of the Mayor, Municipal Commissioner, and other senior officials along with divyaangs(disabled people). The group is also demanding the construction of a ramp and a lift facility at all government buildings. Lamenting on the lack of awareness about the Rights to Persons with Disability(RPwD) Act, 2016 the NGO wants PMC to put up billboards at every police station to provide detailed information about disability laws and its provisions.

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Since 2016, the group had been long demanding a 50% waiver in property tax on the lines of PCMC. Demands also include an increase in Rs 2000 monthly pension for severely retarded and handicapped people from Rs 1000. The letter addressed to the Mayor and Commissioner demands an increase in capital from Rs 15,000 to 50,000 for business purposes and the appointment of a Grievance Redressal Officer for complaints related to offenses against disabled people. According to the NGO, the PMC must implement mobile van projects in the city on the lines of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike(BBMP) and Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal corporation to promote business culture among disabled people.

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“We have been protesting for a long time now. Authorities always tend to ignore us. Last time we protested outside the hall where the general body of the PMC meets. We are going to intensify our agitation if our demands are not taken seriously,“ Khan further added. The agitation was led by Pune city President Abhay Pawar, along with senior leaders like Rafique Khan, Surekha Dhavle, Naushad Shaikh, Sunanda Banne, and Rafique Pathan.

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