At a 10-day camp for disabled people held in Ballabgarh, the Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has announced a substantial hike in unemployment allowance for blind people of the state.

The event was organised by the District Red Cross Society, Faridabad, Lions Club International and Bhagwan Mahavira Sahayta Samiti, Jaipur.

Hooda said that in case of matriculate and diploma holders, the unemployment allowance would be raised from 400 rupees to 1,000 rupees a month. In case of graduate and matriculate pass diploma holders, it has been hiked from 500 to 1,500 rupees, and for post-graduate and graduate diploma holders the figure has risen from 600 to 2,000 rupees a month.

The pension for blind, deaf and speech-impaired persons, and mentally challenged people has also been raised from 300 rupees to 600 rupees.

Hooda said that his government would spend 33.35 crores rupees for the welfare of physically disabled people in the current financial year. He also stated that the 3 per cent reservation would be given to disabled people in government jobs, and that there would be a relaxation of 10 years in the upper age limit in such jobs.