Mangaluru : Members of the Karnataka State Union for Differently Abled Service Organisations have demanded the state government to double the honorarium for special school teachers.

“The teachers are paid Rs 13,500 a month. The honorarium has not been revised since 2014,” said Vasanth Kumar Shetty, general secretary of the Union.

He was addressing the programme for the International Day of Disabled Persons organised by the district administration, Department for Women and Child Development and Lions Club Gandhinagara at Town Hall on Tuesday.

“The staff at the schools for the differently abled should be provided facilities and retirement benefits on the model of aided school staff,” the general secretary added.

“The Union had planned to boycott the programme, condemning successive governments’ failure to revise the honorarium. As K Leelavathi, director of the Department for Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, has assured that the proposal to revise the honorarium has been sent to the government, the decision to boycott was withdrawn,” Shetty said.

“Specially abled students above 25 years are not eligible for a government grant in aid. In spite of urging the government not to restrict the age for children with autism and down syndrome, the rules have not be changed,” he added.

The government should set up vocational training centres and rehabilitation centres for such children, Shetty said.

Narayana, a member of the Union, said that the Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple’s supply of mid-day meals to schools for differently abled has been stopped. He warned of holding ‘thatte chaluvali’ if the government failed to reintroduce the scheme.

Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh, said that a holistic approach to bring the differently abled to mainstream society was needed. She stressed on the need to provide such people an opportunity and environment to bring out their talent and excel in their activities, she added.

Abhilash and Prajwal Lobo, who won gold medals in powerlifting at the Summer Games in Abu Dhabi; Ashley, who was fourth in powerlifting at the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi; Divya, who won a bronze medal in volleyball at the Special Olympics; Nizamuddin, who won the fourth place in football at an international event in Abu Dhabi; Preetham, who is visually challenged; and is working as a manager in an office; Sasmitha, who is serving the Cheshire Home residents; and Jagadish Poojary, a gym instructor at Sahyadri, were felicitated.

Wheelchairs and other equipment were distributed for the differently abled.