LAHORE: The visually impaired persons’ protest for employment rights, for regularisation and an increase in allowance entered its sixth day on Thursday here at Kalma Chowk, causing problems for 20,000 daily commuters and a loss of millions of rupees to the Punjab government.
The protesters raised slogans in favour of their demands and against the government.
Their demands state that all visually impaired persons be provided with jobs suitable to their abilities and that the monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 is raised to Rs 15,000 so that they can survive the month with ease.
In addition to the Metro Bus being unfunctional for the past five days, the sit-in has also caused a slow traffic flow on what is normally a traffic free time in the city. The demonstrators, who are from Bahawalpur, stated that they will remain where they are until their demands are accepted by the government.
However, neither the Punjab government nor any Metro administration representative has come forward to hold talks with the visually impaired persons as yet.
According to the protesters, the government gives “false assurances” but they will not allow the authorities “to continue to fool them”.
