From the States

Chandigarh

Diphu

Guwahati

New Delhi

varanasi

North Zone Conference of Blind, Dumb and Deaf

Despite the constitution providing for three per cent reservation of jobs for physically handicapped persons including blind, partially blind, deaf and dumb, state governments in most parts of the country have failed to ensure this fundamental right of the people.

Having earlier raised their demands on various issues, from separate platforms, representatives from the disability sector in north Indian states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh are trying to put up a joint effort for this common cause.

On the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Helen Keller, members of blind, deaf and dumb associations from North India came together on a common platform at a programme - "North Zone Conference of Blind, Dumb and Deaf," to present a 10 point charter of demands towards the welfare of physically challenged people to the state governments. A copy of the demands was formally presented to the Health, Social Welfare and Welfare of SCs and BCs Minister Kartari Devi who was present on the occasion.

The associations represented were National Federation of the Blind, Haryana State Blind Employees Association, Deaf and Dumb Institution, National Handicapped Welfare Council, All India Blind Employees Association, Punjab. The 10-point charter presented demanded amongst other things that:

  • All the unemployed physically challenged persons whose names are registered with the employment exchange must be granted employment.
  • One son/daughter of totally blind parents should be given a government job.
  • All the deaf and dumb and blind employees who have completed 20 years regular satisfactory service may be granted 33 years all service benefit.
  • All deaf dumb and blind employees must be given additional increment.
  • Filling up of the vacant post of Commissioner Appeals for disabled in Haryana, which has been lying vacant for the past seven months.
  • All the blind cane weavers be given promotion on the direction of PWD Act 1955 etc.
Kartari Devi assured the participants that the Haryana government was sensitive to the demands of physically challenged persons and was trying to provide employment to the unemployed among them on a priority basis. She said that the government would soon constitute a committee headed by the CM for the welfare of the handicapped.

Source: Disabled raise their voice for jobs, Indian Express, Chandigarh, 29 June 2005

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Karbi Anglong Zilla All Categories Physically Handicapped Committee

A meeting of the newly floated organization, Karbi Anglong Zilla All Categories Physically Handicapped Committee was held at Diphu Club under the chairmanship of Nirmal Das recently. Bidyasing Engleng, MLA and Ramsing Engti, ex - EM, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) were also present on the occasion. Pradeep Sagnar, EM, KAAC along with officials of various departments was also present at the meeting.

The organization includes members from departments like PWD, DRDA, PHE and Health Services, etc. Nirma Das and Gautam Bhowmick were elected as president and vice-president respectively, while Babul Rishi has been elected as general secretary of the organization. The body assured the disabled of the district that all possible help will be extended towards overcoming their physical hindrance.

Source: Body for physically challenged, The Sentinel, Guwahati, 29 June 2005.

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Sky Rehab Community Development and Rehabilitation Centre

U S Sohoni, General Manager, network 1, State Bank of India, north-eastern circle visited the Sky Rehab Community Development and Rehabilitation Centre in Guwahati recently and handed over a cheque for Rs. 96,275 to Rina Bhattacherjee, president of Sky Rehab, to enable the centre to buy equipments for occupational therapy and physiotherapy of infants.

Sky Rehab was established in 2001 to take care of students afflicted by delayed mental development. Sky Rehab facilitates integration of these children with the rest of the society. There is special focus on school going children belonging to the economically backward sections of the society.

The Centre has plans to set up full boarding facilities in the near future and to start a Respite Care Home where professional and working parents can leave their children during the working hours. The organization also intends to introduce scout and guide programme for the mentally retarded children.

Source: SBI help for disabled children. Assam Tribune, Guwahati, 25 June 2005.

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For NDMC losses preferable to helping the disabled

NDMC officials wasted approximately 5 years to allot and to work out the quotation for the license of PCO booths for disabled persons and for this reason they suffered a loss of Rs. 6.5 lakh. This project had been initiated by NDMC in the year 1999 to make available PCO booth to physically disabled persons. In January 1995, NDMC granted permission to estimated expenditure of Rs. 8.48 lakh amount for the construction of 19 booths. In March 1995, Rs. 7.58 lakh accepted as last amount. In August 1995, the work had been delegated to the contractor.

The construction of two booths was stopped because of the objection of some residents and member of traders' association of Babar Kharag Singh Marg and Babar road. Remaining 17 booths was completed with the expenditure of Rs. 7.14 lakh in January 1996 but these booths were not allotted to disabled as the allotment procedure and value of the license was not confirmed by the time. So the allotment could not be done and council officers ordered constructor to get out off the aluminium gates of the booths and took care of them. Constructors demanded Rs. 42000 for taking care of the gates.

According to the report, allotment procedure and license value was finalized in 5 years (February 1996 to September 2000) during this period government had to suffer Rs. 6 lakh's lose of license fees and for gates they paid Rs. 42000 to the constructors.

Source: NDMC ko sadhe 6 lakh ki chapat. Rashtriya Sahara, New Delhi, 1 July 2005.

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DU unable to fill disability student quota

It is an irony and a study in contrasts. Even as aspirants battle it out for each and every DU seat, with just half a percentage making all the difference to getting into college, an estimated 1,000 seats of the total 43,000 under graduate seats on offer at the university, are going to remain vacant.

The reason: the 3% reservation for physically challenged students and the dearth of sufficient applications. The university has received just 322 applications for the nearly 1,300 seats in the university (3 % of the total number of seats) that are reserved for physically challenged students. And with a rule that these seats have to be kept vacant till the last date of admissions, many end up remaining so for the whole session.

Says Professor S K Vij, dean students welfare (DSW): "After the last date of admissions, it is the discretion of the college as to what they do with these seats. We have no say in it." The collages, though, have a different take on the matter. S R Arora, principal of Hansaraj College says: "we have no say in the admission to any of the reserved categories. We get a list from the university and admissions are made as per that list. We have about 22-23 seats in the college for physically challenged students, but we rarely receive more than five such students in a year. The rest we are not authorized to fill."

Agrees Jitender Kaur, principal of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College: "The university forces us to keep these seats vacant, no matter how many general category students may be knocking at our doors. There is a letter saying that don't fill these seats till you hear from us'. But the communication that should say that these seats may be given to other students, never arrives."

Hindu, however, remains one of rare DU colleges who have devised a way out of this imbroglio. Principal Kavita Sharma says: "We take whatever students we get a per the cut-offs declared and then also admit all quota students who are sent by the university. This way, some of the classes have a few more students that the designated capacity, but at least we are not depriving deserving candidates."

Source: 1300 DU seats that may never get filled. The Times of India, New Delhi, 3 July 2005.

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Wishes comes true

The efforts of Raj Babbar, Member of Parliament and actor, have finally started to produce results. The state government has given directives towards the release of Sube jail on the basis of their age or any disablement. The chief minister had sent this suggestion to the governor. It was soon accepted.

Raj Babbar had visited the Shivpur Central jail on the 1st April. It was then that old and disabled people had pleaded towards their release, keeping in mind their difficult circumstances. He was touched and soon talked to the Chief Minister about this.

The directive asks the government to generate a committee which is supposed to discuss the above matter. The directive says that the any prisoner who wants a release on the above basis will be required to submit a written mercy plea. The committee will discuss the requests on a case-by-case basis. This will be followed by a medical check up of the inmate.

The directive excluded people convicted for the crimes of rape, robbery, terrorism and other such crimes from the above provision.

Source: U.P mein riha honge bujurg aur vikang kaidi. Amar Ujala, 5 July 2005.

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