Assam jobs: Eligibility criteria to be relaxed

Guwahati, Dec 09: The Assam government has decided to relax eligibility criteria for differently-abled persons applying for state government jobs, officials said. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday met officials from bodies representing persons with disabilities(PwDs) and assured them of relaxing criteria such as prior job experience, computer and sports skills for grade 4 jobs in state departments, an official said.

It was decided in the meeting that the eligibility criteria would be relaxed to bring PwDs at par with others in the society, he said.

Representatives of Pratibondi Suraksha Sanstha, Bikalanga Unnayan Parishad, All Assam Dristihin Yuva Unnayan Parishad and All Assam Pratibondi Rehabilitation Sanstha said the job criteria had put PwD applicants at a disadvantageous position in seeking government jobs.

They requested the chief minister to relax the three eligibility criteria to facilitate recruitment of differently-abled persons in the state government, the official said.

Mr Sonowal also asked the Panchayat and Rural Development Department to allot houses under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana, Grameen to PwDs from the existing beneficiary list on a priority basis.

It was also decided at the meeting that a guest house would be built here for differently-abled persons, the official said.

The chief minister asked the Social Welfare Department to provide funds to the All Assam Deaf and Dumb Sports Meet to be held in Tezpur and take steps in promoting sign language.