Keep 26 posts aside for PwDs: Gauhati High Court

Filling up of vacancies in Irrigation department

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has ordered the State Irrigation department to keep aside 26 posts for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) while filling up 643 vacancies of various posts in the department.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangstha, Assam (PSSA) secretary Nripen Malakar said, “In an employment notice issued on December 18, 2019 for the filling up 643 vacancies of various posts in the department the Chief Engineer (Irrigation) didn’t keep any reservation for PwDs holding that the PwDs were recruited recently in a central recruitment drive. However, the fact remains that the recent recruitment for PwDs under the earlier advertisement issued on December 30, 2018 was only for filling up of backlog posts of grade III and grade IV in different departments of the State government. That recruitment was not for the 643 posts in the Irrigation department for which advertisement was issued on December 18, 2019. The interview of the posts started on Saturday and will conclude on Sunday.”

Malakar said, “Such discrimination has led us to move the Gauhati High Court with a writ petition (WP-C 553/2020) seeking justice. On January 30, 2020 the department had a meeting with the PSSA. It was decided at the meeting that four per cent (26) of the 643 posts being filled up now would be kept aside as reserved posts for PwDs as per provisions of the Rights of Persons Disabilities Act, 2016 and the Rules framed under it. The counsel of the department raised this issue and produced a copy of the minute of the January 30, 2020 meeting. At that, the court asked the department to keep 26 posts aside for persons with disabilities.”

Malakar further said, “A number of advertisements issued on January 23, 2020 for the filling up of 403 posts in the State Health and Family Welfare department have also not mentioned reservations specifically. According to the Relevant Act, 16 of the 403 posts advertised should be reserved for PwDs. We’ll opt for agitation if the State Health and Family Welfare department doesn’t come clear on our reservation within three days.”

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