June 25: National Alliance of Disabled People's Organisations (NADPO) demanded the government to make adequate allocation for the long neglected physically disabled people in the budget for 2010-2011 fiscal.

The NADPO made the demand at a press conference in the city Thursday, said a press release.

NADPO president Abdus Sattar Dulal presented the keynote paper at the press conference,

In his paper, the NADPO president stated that nearly 10 per cent of the country's total population was disabled people but the government proposed a poor allocation in the coming budget.

"The government proposes only 0.11 per cent allocation of the total budget for disabled people. Such an insignificant allocation is quite disappointing," he mentioned.

Referring to the untold sufferings of disabled people, Mr Dulal said family members of disabled people constitute nearly half of the country's population and they pay an estimated Tk 440 billion annually as indirect tax.

He said many laws were passed and several international charters signed by the government over the years but no comprehensive steps were taken to ensure the rights of disabled people.

A set of recommendations was put forward at the conference.

The recommendations include 10 per cent allocation of the total proposed budget of fiscal 2010-2011 for the physically challenged people, implementing the Bangladesh Disabled Welfare Act 2001 and reconsider the proposed budgetary allocation for the grater welfare of disabled people, the release added.

Source: http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com