Traffic hit as visually impaired protest at Kharar bus stand

Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 11

Members of the National Federation of the Blind today staged a massive protest against the state government at the Kharar bus stand. The visually-impaired protesters clashed with the police and tried to cross the barricades on their way to Punjab CM Charanjit Channi’s house in Kharar.

‘Govt indifferent’

The Punjab Government is pushing the blind to the brink. They have been protesting here for the past one week, but their demands have not been met. Balwinder Singh Chahal, general secy, National Federation of Blind, Punjab

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The normal movement of traffic was hampered as the protesters came on the road. Commuters were harassed as they had to take long detours and face massive jams. Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road for close to three hours in the daytime.

Chanting slogans against the Punjab Government, the protesters demanded that the visually-impaired should be given reservation in government jobs, their monthly allowance be hiked to Rs5,000 per month and their electricity bills should be fully waived.

Balwinder Singh Chahal, general secretary, National Federation of Blind, Punjab, said, “The Punjab Government is pushing the blind to the brink. They have been protesting here for the past one week, but their demands have not been met.”