Several hearing and speech impaired youth participated in a rally here on Monday highlighting their charter of demands, including filling up vacant posts reserved for the deaf in all government departments in the erstwhile undivided Khammam district.
The demonstrators, owing allegiance to the Khammam District Association of the Deaf (KDAD), marched through the streets holding banners and placards in an effort to grab the attention of the district administration towards their long pending demands.
The protesters, led by KDAD general secretary K Vijendar, staged a dharna near the Collectorate in the afternoon.
KDAD representatives, through sign language, highlighted the plight of the deaf-mute youth struggling to make ends meet.
They deplored that despite repeated pleas, hundreds of eligible hearing and speech impaired youth were deprived jobs, self-employment opportunities and other sustainable means of livelihood to support their families.
A delegation of KDAD leaders submitted a petition at the Collectorate seeking immediate intervention to ensure identification of the department-wise vacancies earmarked for the deaf in both Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts and filling them up immediately.
In the memorandum, they demanded job quota for the deaf be implemented in TSRTC, major temples under the Endowments Department, TSNPDCL and other State-owned corporations. They also sought sanction of self-employment units and housing sites to speech and hearing impaired.
