MARGAO: It has been revealed that the government has not yet disbursed the amount of Rs 3,500 to beneficiaries who are visually disabled across the State of Goa. This delay raises concerns about the timely support and assistance that these individuals rely on. For the last two months, these beneficiaries have not received the dole amount from the government, resulting in major hardships for them.
On Saturday, a group of visually disabled persons met Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas and urged him to take up their issue with the government.
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Speaking to reporters, Chandrakant Shirodkar, a beneficiary, expressed that they are facing a tough time due to not receiving any money from the government.
“Yes, we are thankful to the government for the scheme; however, we have not been receiving timely payments for the last four years. Our request to the government is to disburse the amount under the concerned scheme promptly, as many of us depend entirely on this money,” he stated.
Gajanand Velip, another beneficiary, demanded job opportunities for visually disabled individuals in both government and private sectors. “There are several among us who have good educational qualifications, and hence the government should provide us with job opportunities,” he stated.
Joseph Pereira from Orlim claimed that due to inflation, they are unable to cope with their situations with the current amount provided by the government.
“Our request is to increase the amount from Rs. 3,500 to Rs 7,000. Many times, we are compelled to borrow money from others to meet our daily needs. Therefore, we urge the government to disburse the amount on time to alleviate these hardships,” he demanded.
MLA Venzy Viegas said that the government needs to find a permanent solution to this issue, indicating the need for sustainable measures to address the challenges faced by visually disabled individuals regarding timely financial assistance.
“It seems that the government has failed to resolve the issue and disburse the amount into the bank accounts of these beneficiaries. Why this delay, despite funds being allotted in the state budget?” he questioned.
