THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a long legal battle, Madhu K, a physically handicapped IITian, has found a place in the rank list for the post of Land Revenue Deputy Collector, but justice seems to be far away. The Kerala PSC has no specific rotation chart for the physically handicapped category.‘Express’ had reported on the discrimination shown by the PSC in excluding him from the rank list citing that he was unfit for outdoor work. He moved the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) that found the PSC guilty of not including him the rank list as the post was for the physically challenged too.
Even after order, the PSC continued its foul play and officials asked Madhu to produce a fitness certificate from the Medical Board as his was a ‘special’ case for being included in the list. Candidates have to produce the fitness certificate only during joining time.
He checked it with other officials and the official concerned reluctantly signed the file.Another impediment is that the PSC has no specific roster for the physically handicapped. As he was included through an addendum notification, those who had already been included in the list were advised for the prevailing vacancies.The GOI Office Memorandum (OM No 36035/3/2004/Estt(Res) dated December 29, 2005) about the reservation roster for the differently abled instructed that points 1, 34 and 67 of the roster shall be earmarked reserved for persons with disabilities one point for each of the three categories of disabilities.However, the state government, in 2008, bypassed this order and made the 33, 67 and 99 as order in the roster for physically handicapped candidates.Responding to the issue, N Ahamed Pillai, Chairman, Commission for the Welfare of Physically Disabled Persons, told ‘Express’ that he had recommended the state government to take view in favour of physically handicapped candidates.
“I came across Madhu’s case and recommended the government to take a favourable step. Since there is a Supreme Court order, there is no point in citing technical reasons to prevent its implementation. In my knowledge, the state government is positive about the recommendation,” he said. Madhu has moved the Human Rights Commission, KAT, PSC and Social Justice Minister to expedite the PSC to issue an advise memo.