Team Herald
PANJIM: The Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) has demanded a four per cent reservation in jobs at the Goa Human Resources Development Corporation (GHRDC).
In a letter addressed to the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, the Labour Commissioner, the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister, DRAG president Avelino De Sa stated that the GHRDC has advertised 944 posts in government departments on an empanelment basis, but not a single post has been reserved for persons with disabilities, even though the advertised posts are identified as suitable for them.
According to De Sa, the GHRDC is a special purpose vehicle of the government to provide jobs to Goans in government service and first preference in government jobs is given to those employed by the Corporation. By not reserving four per cent of their jobs for persons with disabilities, as mandated under Section 34 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, the GHRDC has violated the provisions of the Act and denied 38 persons with disabilities the opportunity for gainful employment in government service through preference in appointments.
"We wish to bring to your notice that empanelment can only be done for professionals and consultants, not unskilled staff. Hence, GHRDC has also violated the labour laws of the State by employing unskilled staff on an empanelment basis," De Sa stated. The DRAG has also directed the Corporation to fill up their backlog vacancies for persons with disabilities and to reserve four per cent of the posts advertised in the future for persons with disabilities.