NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, DEC 25
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) has urged the Gujarat Government to implement its long-pending demands, including 3 per cent job reservation in the posts filled by Gujarat Public Service Commission, Gujarat Subordinate Staff Selection Board and also teaching posts from school level to university level, backlog clearance and an increase in conveyance allowance from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per month.
In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday, a delegation of the federation, led by its national general secretary and senior advocate of Supreme Court SK Rungta and Surat MLA Vinu Bhai Moradiya, asked the government to start the recruitment drive for clearing the backlog and give representation to the state unit of NFB in all committees related to the welfare of persons with disabilities.
The federation demanded that out of 3 per cent reservation in jobs for persons with disabilities, 1 per cent should be reserved for persons suffering from blindness, poor vision, hearing impairment, locomotor disability and cerebral palsy. The visually impaired should be appointed is suitable teaching posts, the federation said.
The Chief Minister assured the delegation that all demands of the federation would be considered sympathetically and a meeting of secretaries concerned with representatives of the NFB would be convened soon to sort out the issues, NFB Gujarat State branch president Sudip Tripathi, vice president Umesh Parmar
and general secretary Devyani Thakur said.
The delegation in its 19-point demand charter submitted to the chief minister urged him to take immediate steps to address the following on priority basis. They are:
- Undertaking a special recruitment drive for filling up backlog of reserved vacancies for persons with disabilities in general and blind in particular in compliance of the judgment dt.8.10.2013 of Hon’ble Supreme court as well as the provisions of Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full Participation) Act, 1995 and Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act 2016;
- Proper implementation of scheme of reservation in the posts filled by Gujarat Public Service Commission and Gujarat Subordinate Staff Selection Board;
- Constituting an expert committee for identification of posts suitable for each category of disability for proper implementation of scheme of reservation for persons with disabilities and till such time this exercise is completed, adopt the list of identified jobs notified by Central Govt. U/S 33 of RPwD Act 2016.
- Allotment of vending stalls/kiosks at public places including bus station to visually impaired persons.
- Proper implementation of scheme of reservation in the recruitment of teachers at different levels particulary with respect to blind persons.
- Appointment of blind persons as Asstt. Physiotherapist/Messure by granting exemption from the requirement of diploma
S K Rungat also informed that a delegation of the Federation had met the chief minister on May 22, 2019 and discussed the demands of Federation but nothing concrete has taken place after that.
When asked about the Supreme Court order on the federation case, Rungta said, “In Union of India vs National Federation of the Blind and others (2013), 3% reservation for persons with disabilities as required under the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 was the issue. The Supreme Court held that the ceiling of 50% reservation mandated in Indra Sawhney applies only to reservation in favour of other backward classes under 16(4) of the constitution, (vertical), whereas reservation in favour of persons with disabilities is horizontal and under 16(1).”
Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan state governments have implemented the SC order to clear backlog jobs while Gujarat is yet to act on it. The state unit of the NFB has moved the Gujarat High Court in this regard by filing a Special Leave Petition No 23072 of 2019 and the matter is listed for January 2010, he added.
He informed that the chief Minister gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured the Federation to take positive steps for implementation of the above demands. Rungta urged the Chief Minister to direct the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting of all concerned secretaries and take final decision on all these demands. The Federation thanked the Chief Minister for the establishment of Divyang Vikas Nigam on the demands of the Federation which will go a long way in promoting self employment ventures by persons with disabilities.
