Handicapped person to be provided with writer for job interview: HC

Mumbai, Nov 16 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today directed that handicapped persons should be provided with a writer while conducting exams including Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), for recruitment in state government departments while hearing a public interest litigation.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice H S Bedi and Justice V M Kanade also directed the state to file a reply in four weeks submitting the details of quotas in promotions for Class I and II employees categorised as Group A and B in their departments following the handicapped persons sought reservation for promotion in these two categories as per the Persons With Disability Act earlier.

The MPSC also has to be made a party in this matter as the recruitment by state of Group A and B is managed by them.

The state also has to submit to the court its policy for the handicapped persons.

The court also observed that even though one per cent of the three reserved for handicapped persons recruitment is for the visually handicapped persons, preference was given to the orthopaedically handicapped persons while employing them.

The court has also directed that the Disability Commissioner for state should be provided with adequate staff to work efficiently.

Chief Secretary for State, Dr D K Sankaran, also submitted in his affidavit that strenous efforts were being made to clear the backlog of recruitment of handicapped persons.

Earlier the court had stayed the recruitment process of the various state departments until the backlog was cleared. Following the orders, the Chief Secretary submitted today that some of the departments had cleared the same and they be allowed to finish their recruitment of non-physically handicapped persons. He especially asked exemption for the Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories from reservation for handicapped persons considering the peculiar kind of job the employees of the directorate are required to perform, which the court granted.

UNI ARM MJ YA RS2055