Court rescues physically challanged teacher

Guwahati, May 26 (UNI) Guwahati High Court came as a saviour to a physically challanged teacher, who was denied salary for over six years due to his physical constraints.

Prafulla Pator, a school teacher in Morigaon since 1988, did not receive salary since March 2000 because he has locomotor disability after he suffered a stroke in 1999.

According to The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 no government employee acquiring a disability during service shall be removed from service or his rank reduced. As a person with 50% disability, Pator falls under the protection of this Act.

Disregarding the provision of the law, Mr Pator was not allowed to join work nor was he paid any salary from March 2000.

Mr Pator faced financial hardship due to this. His condition was reported in a local press and the Disability Law Unit (a project of Shishu Sarothi supported by Light for the World) approached Prafulla Pator and helped him to file a case in the Gauhati High Court.

The Gauhati High Court recently directed that the petitioner must receive his salary from March 2005 with interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum within 30 days from the date of receipt of the certified copy.

This judgment is significant because it highlights the provision of law that the government employees acquiring disability during service cannot in any way be penalized or discriminated against.

UNI MT JYN/SP AB SK VV1824