Fill up backlog posts meant for us: Bikalanga Santha

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, May 1: Highlighting the gross deprivation they have been confronting throughout the decade, the Sodou Axom Bikalanga Santha (SABS) has demanded the State government to fill up as many as 4,500 backlog posts reserved for differently-abled and lying vacant in various departments.

“From 1981 till March 2018, there are at least 4,500 different posts lying vacant in various departments of the State government which are recognized well as reserved for the differently-abled candidates,” revealed Santha president Niranjan Kalita while addressing the media person in Guwahati today. Accordingly, Kalita demanded the State government to fill up the outstanding vacancies.

To speed up the mitigation of their grievances, Kalita urged the government for a separate directorate for the differently-abled people in the state. “A separate directorate will be more cooperative and instrumental to our redresses,” said Kalita. He also urged the State government to privilege them to access credit from the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC). Stressing the crisis of housing facility, Kalita stated that sizable members of the group live in a poverty-stricken dwelling. “Therefore, the State government should provision at least 5% reservation in the housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G) scheme for differently-abled people,” Kalita said. He aggrieved that though the government provides identity cards on behalf of the Social Welfare Department, the riders available with the card is not accessible. He also appealed to the department to issue identity proofs to those who are yet to obtain them.

“On different occasion, to attend meeting, various awareness program and offices besides on our personal reasons we visit Guwahati but only to face hindrance. Therefore, we appeal the state government to establish a guest house for the differently abled in Guwahati”, said Kalita. The president further informed that the schools established to cater the differently abled are yet to be provincialised. “To create a healthy educational environment and to motivate the teachers, we request the Sonowal government to provincialise these schools in a prioritized manner,” he said. Kalita also insisted the chief minister on increasing their present annual stipend amount from 6,000 to 24,000. Meanwhile, he also advocated for 5% reservation in the Panchayati Raj institution.