F A I S A L A B A D : Visually impaired persons staged a protest outside the deputy commissioner`s (DC) office on Wednesday over nonpayment of salaries for months.

Two policemen allegedly roughed up a protester in an effort to disperse them.

The protesters blocked the road in front of the DC office and demanded payment of their salaries.

On Jan 4, the Services and General A d m i n i s t r a t i o n Department (S&GAD) had sent a letter to all commissioners and deputy commissioners, titled `Continuation of salaries of visually impaired persons employed by districts on daily wage basis in the wake of changes in accounting system under impending local government regime`.

The letter stated that during 2015, the visually impaired persons had staged repeated protests over lack of employment opportunities. Following the protests, district governments recruited them on daily wages in various departments.

As many as 3,988 persons with disabilities had been hired under the statutory three per cent disabled quota out of which 690 were visually impaire d, 2,947 physically handicapped and 351 deafand dumb, it reads.

The visually impaired persons have over the years staged six protests for recruitment and payment of salaries.

The S&GAD directed officials to make necessary arrangements for seamless payment of salaries to the visually impaired persons in consultation with respective accounts and unance de p ar tme n t.

Administrative secretaries of the Punjab government were also directed to ensure uninterrupted payment of salaries to the devolved establishments that had made recruitments on daily wages.

The Punjab government also asked the finance department to ensure payment of salaries in the wake of implementation of the new accounting system, the letter reads.

Talking to reporters, the protesters said the government had sent letters to all the departments concerned to ensure issuance of salaries to them, however, department officials were not following the orders. Owing to this indifferent attitude of the officials, they said they had to take to the streets for their right. They said they would continue to protest until their salaries were paid.

The protesters however dispersed peacefully when they were assured by the district administration that their salaries would be paid within a couple of days.