OPSC violating rights of disabled

BHUBANESWAR: Persons with disabilities in the State have alleged violation of the Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, by  Orissa Public Service Commission and the Government. Under the aegis of Odisha Disabled People’s Network, they are demanding reservation for physically-challenged persons by the OPSC for the civil services examination. These disabled persons mostly comprise those with blindness or low vision, hearing impairment, loco motor disability or cerebral palsy. They said even as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) has a provision for the people with disabilities to appear for the examination, the OPSC has not initiated any measure in this regard.Sanyash Behera, coordinator of the Odisha Disabled People’s Network, said the OPSC Act was passed in 1991 and the PWD Act in 1995. “Since PWD Act is a Central act, necessary amendments should have been made in the OPSC Act to accommodate the people with disabilities. No step has been taken in this area so far and by not doing so, the OPSC has violated sections 32, 33 and 36 of the PWD Act,” he said.   The PWD Act also ensures three per cent reservation in the civil services for the disabled. Behera said, besides the IAS, the state governments of Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan have quota for people with disabilities to appear for administrative service exams. The Women and Child Development Department had also written to the OPSC over the issue recently. It was also alleged that the State Government had done little to ensure the three per cent reservation for people with disabilities in Government departments.  “One will not find any person with disability in the Class I or Class  II posts of any of the departments ,” Behera said.  As per the PWD Act, the State needs to identify new posts for the people with disabilities in every three years. “However, the State Government has not done so since 2006, he alleged. Special Secretary, OPSC L N Mishra, however, said since there was no such provision in the OPSC Act of 1991, no step has been made to reserve seats for people with disabilities in the OAS. “The WCD Department has also been intimated about it,” he said adding the Commission would look into the issue.