Madras HC asks TN govt to reply on plea on 'substandard' wheelchairs for disabled

Madras High Court has ordered Tamil Nadu Government to file a report within six weeks in the case alleging that low-quality battery wheelchairs were provided to the disabled during the last All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam rule.

Chennai:Acting on a plea filed by the spinal cord injury organization, the Madras High Court bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee ordered the Tamil Nadu government to respond within six weeks. The petition termed the battery-powered wheelchairs provided since 2015 to people suffering from spinal muscular dystrophy was substandard.

The demand for retrieving battery wheelchairs given during the AIADMK rule was raised along with the provision of adequate compensation to the affected disabled.

Raising concerns, the petition stated that disabled people were further affected by the use of substandard wheelchairs. No service stations have been set up for repairing the wheelchairs. The petition also alleged that the contract was awarded only to a particular company based in Bengaluru and no scientific procedure was followed to test the quality of wheelchairs operated on the purchased battery.