In a distressing incident in Villupuram, a couple was forced to bring their disabled son in a Corrugated plastic box to the Collector’s office to prove he was alive after authorities wrongly declared him dead and stopped his disability allowance, citing fraudulent claims.
District Collector Sheikh Abdul Rahman has assured that necessary steps have been taken to reinstate the maintenance allowance for V. Govindan, a disabled resident of Melkaranai village, Vikravandi taluk, Villupuram district, along with his sister.
On 17 March 2025, Venkatesan, a laborer from Melkaranai, accompanied by his wife Kaliammal and their mentally challenged son, Govindan (25), arrived at the District Collectorate to submit a petition. In his appeal, Venkatesan stated that the monthly maintenance allowance for Govindan had been unfairly discontinued, and he pleaded for its restoration.
விழுப்புரம்: மாற்றுத்திறனாளிக்கு ஆதார் அட்டை, உதவித்தொகை, ஊனமுற்றோருக்கான வாகனம் உள்ளிட்டவை வழங்காமல் அலைக்கழித்த அதிகாரிகள்.. பாதிக்கப்பட்டவரை பிளாஸ்டிக் கூடையில் அமர வைத்து ஆட்சியர் அலுவலகத்திற்கு அழைத்து வந்த குடும்பத்தினர்#Villupuram #TamilNadu @DDNewslive pic.twitter.com/4UhrHsVV3X
— DD Tamil News (@DDTamilNews) March 17, 2025
Upon receiving the petition, District Collector Sheikh Abdul Rahman immediately directed officials to investigate. The inquiry revealed that Govindan and his sister, Bhuvaneswari, who is also mentally challenged, had their maintenance allowances deposited into their father’s linked bank account. However, due to a double Aadhaar registration error, payments for Bhuvaneswari were stopped in February 2025, while Govindan’s were halted in November 2024 under the false assumption that he was deceased.
After bringing the issue to the attention of the Disability Welfare Commission, Collector Sheikh Abdul Rahman confirmed that corrective measures had been taken to resume the financial assistance for both siblings. Additionally, an immediate relief amount of ₹6,000 and ₹12,000 was provided to them.
Following the incident, netizens criticized the government’s inaction, questioning the lethargy of officials. They also raised concerns about the $162 million World Bank sanction for the RIGHTS project, which was approved to enhance Tamil Nadu’s social protection systems and improve inclusion, accessibility, and opportunities for people with disabilities.
Netizens urged the government to take more meaningful action, emphasizing that there needs to be a shift in attitudes toward the treatment of people with disabilities. They highlighted the need for a more empathetic approach to addressing the challenges faced by the differently-abled community.
(With Inputs From Dinamalar)
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