Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) has been asked to allocate 5% of the houses it builds to the differently abled people living below the poverty line.
The government order was issued recently by the Department of the Welfare of Differently abled Persons.
According to the order, a similar allocation should be made by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) in its housing schemes for the poor.
The order follows an announcement by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin earlier this year that the differently abled persons would be given preferential treatment in the house allocation by TNUHDB and the Department of RDPR. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, has already mandated such a preferential allotment.
The order asked the Departments concerned to ensure that houses allocated to the differently abled persons have ease of access. In its multi-storey apartments, TNUHDB has been asked to allocate houses to the differently abled persons on the ground floors.
In case of an inadequate demand from families with the differently abled persons in a particular project, the houses reserved for them can be allocated to other persons, the order said.
Welcoming the decision, S. Namburajan, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently-abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC), said the Tamil Nadu Housing Board should also be brought under the ambit of the order.
Highlighting that the struggle of families with differently abled people to find housing was more pronounced in urban areas than in rural areas, he said the allocation of 5% houses by TNUHDB would be particularly useful.
He expressed the hope that the Commissioner for the Welfare of the Differently Abled would regularly monitor the allocation, as mandated by the government order.
