Concerned over the sluggish pace of recruitment of people with disabilities by government departments and ministries, the Ministry of Personnel and Training has shot off a letter to all ministries asking them to expedite the process.
Javed Abidi, founder of the Disability Rights Group, however, ridiculed the government missive calling it an eyewash.
“On one hand they are shrinking the jobs and not complying with the law, but on the other writing such letters. The average rate of employment in top PSUs and departments in 1999 was only 0.5 per cent. It would be difficult to find even more than 1 per cent in government jobs. More than recruitment, they are trying to figure out ways to avoid the reservation,” Abidi said.
The DoPT said it had reminded the ministries in 2006 and in 2010 urging them to prepare reservation roster registers starting from 1996.
It had asked ministries to fill the earmarked vacancies, but Abidi said government departments felt no accountability and failed to do their job. “Law exists since 1995. Why they woke up so late,” Abidi asked.
The DoPT has said that as per the latest instruction, all the ministries need to ensure that reservation to persons with disabilities are provided to minimise the possibility of backlog among reserved vacancies.