HC directs clearance of backlog in vacancies for handicaps

Mumbai, Sep 7 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today directed the State Government to clear within three months the backlog in appointment of handicapped persons.

A Division Bench comprising Justices R M Lodha and S A Bobde restrained any of the 27 departments of the State Government from recruiting a person on any post where a disabled or handicapped could be appointed till the appointment backlog of such persons was cleared.

The bench directed the State Disability Commissioner R K Gaikwad to ensure that the backlog was cleared expeditiously within three months from today.

The court was hearing two public interest litigations filed by ILS Law College, Pune, and Legal Aid Centre jointly in 2002 and by the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) in 2003, seeking the identification of the three per cent posts reserved for the physically-challenged under the Handicapped Act of 1995 and also seeking to know the backlog of the available vacant posts reserved for them since.

According to the submission of Associate Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni representing the state, there were 2388 vacancies pending as on June 30 while 400 new vacancies had come up since then.

Advocate Uday Warunjikar, arguing on behalf of NFB, told the court that according to an affidavit submitted before this court by the State on August 9, there were 9000 vacancies, whereas the figures submitted were different.

Justice Lodha asked Disability Commissioner to arrange for an inspection of the government records and submit an affidavit clarifying the exact figures indicating the number of vacancies reserved for the physically handicapped people.

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