Ten months have passed since Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said all backlog government vacancies under 4% quota for disabled persons would be filled through special exams and recruitment. But nothing has happened and no announcement has been made to hold the special exam or recruitment, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
Pushed to a dead-end, visually impaired persons, who have 1% internal reservation in the 4% quota, have been protesting for the third consecutive day in Chennai urging the government to fulfill its promise.
Five visually impaired persons are continuing their hunger strike for the third day on Wednesday, February 14, in support of their demands. On Tuesday, February 13, police detained more than 100 protesting members from the commissionerate of differently abled and dropped them at the Kilambakkam bus terminus.
On February 14, the protesters returned to stage a road roko near the Kodambakkam Bridge after which they were detained and kept at a marriage hall.
Following the announcement in the assembly, the differently abled welfare department released a government order on July 24, 2023, asking all departments to identify posts to be filled by disabled persons through special recruitment drives and examinations.
It said that relaxations in age should be provided for disabled workers working in the departments on a contract basis for more than two years as a one-time measure.
It also said the commissioner for differently-abled persons should submit a status report on the action taken by various departments once every three months.
"We demand that the CM, who handles the differently abled department, should meet us to hear our concerns. The Teachers' Recruitment Board should conduct a special examination to recruit PG assistants and the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) should do the same to recruit candidates for A, B, C, and D posts in all the departments to implement the reservation. It should also be implemented in government universities and colleges apart from providing exemption for TET-cleared visually-impaired candidates from TRB examination and appointing them as graduate teachers," said S Rubanmuthu, General Secretary, College Students and Graduates Association Of The Blind.
He added that if the government had kept its promise and implemented the reservation, all the educated differently abled persons would have jobs now.
The protesters also wanted the government to implement the 4% reservation in promotions following the Supreme Court order. "
There is a lack of representation for disabled persons in the government. Only implementing this reservation in recruitment and promotions would ensure inclusivity," Deepak Nathan of the December 3 Movement said.
