Notice on petitions for welfare of children with disabilities

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court issued notice to the State government on two Public Interest Litigations (PIL) concerning the welfare of children with disabilities.

The first PIL was filed by an advocate SK Venkat Raman seeking direction to fill vacancies in government-run special schools for children with disabilities in Tamil Nadu. He stated that student strength in many government special schools are declining due to non-appointment of required staff.

Citing the Government School for Severely Orthopedically Handicapped Children at Villapuram and the Special School in K K Nagar as an example for the poor condition of government-run special schools and the lack of attention given to these schools by the government, he approached the court.

Meanwhile, KR Raja, an advocate, filed a PIL seeking establishment of Special Homes for children with intellectual disabilities in Madurai, Tiruchy, and Tirunelveli. He cited media reports on how children with cerebral palsy and other intellectual disabilities are abandoned and suffer due to lack of government homes.