Social Welfare Minister Rashed Khan Menon yesterday assured of increasing allocation for old age allowance and people with disability in the upcoming budget acknowledging that the existing budgetary allocation for them is inadequate, reports UNB. "It's an insignificant amount what the government allocates for people with disability and helpless old people as allowances. It's a timely demand to increase their allowances," he said.

Minister Menon was addressing a function in the capital arranged to distribute allowances among disabled and old people. He said the number of aged population in the country is now 1.30 crore and many of them insolvent and helpless. "We must keep this experienced section of the society in our consideration."

Menon said the people with disability are the citizen of the country and the country cannot march ahead leaving them behind, said a PID handout.