Though persons with disabilities are entitled to at least 3 per cent jobs in the government sector, they account for barely 3,650 of the estimated 5.25 lakh State government employees.
Nearly 15 years after Parliament passed the Persons with Disabilities Act (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) providing 3 per cent reservation in jobs, persons with disabilities continue to struggle for their rights and livelihood.
Posts not identified
“A majority of the government departments in the State are yet to identify the posts they can reserve for the disabled. Only 31 out of the 74 government departments have identified posts suitable for them,” said State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities K.V. Rajanna.
The lethargy of the State Government in doing its constitutional duty comes as a stark reminder of society's insensitivity at a time when the world is observing International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The population of persons with disabilities in Karnataka, according to the 2001 Census, is 9.4 lakh. But the Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities puts the figure at around 30 lakh at present.
Though the Central Act provides for 3 per cent reservation, the State Government has issued an order providing for 3 per cent reservation in groups A and B and 5 per cent in groups C and D, Mr. Rajanna said.
An official in the Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities said a majority of such people have been employed in group C and D jobs, mainly in posts of clerical staff and attender.
“Though we do not have group-wise data on government employees with disabilities, there may be no more than 400 each among A and B group employees, who include officials of the rank of Assistant Director and Deputy Director and other district-level officers,” the official added.
Reluctance
Mr. Rajanna said a few government departments were reluctant to provide jobs to the disabled. He cited the example of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, which began recruitment for about 5,500 posts of panchayat development officer across the State earlier this year.
“Curiously, they had asked persons with disabilities not to apply for the post when they first invited applications for a couple of hundred posts. It is a serious violation of the rights of disabled persons,” he said. The department officials contended that they had sought exemption from the rule as persons with disabilities would find it difficult to discharge the duties the post demands. “But when our office verified the facts, we learnt that no such concession had been given,” he said.
If the provision for reservation of jobs were to be implemented in letter and in spirit, there should have been around 30,000 to 35,000 persons with disabilities in government jobs. The 3,650 disabled persons in government jobs works out to around 0.7 per cent.
Private sector
With jobs in the government sector reduced to a trickle in the post-liberalised era, Mr. Rajanna said he had already held talks with the Ministry of Labour to extend reservation in jobs for the disabled even in the private sector. “I have already held talks with the Labour Minister in this regard. The subject is expected to be cleared in the next Cabinet meeting,” he said.
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