Karnataka Government fills up posts reserved for persons with disabilities, but problems persist
However, work conditions at these offices are not optimal. One of the major problems is the lack of washrooms for persons with disabilities
Shobha V. (name changed) , a senior assistant in the Hubballi Electricity Supply Company (Hescom), uses her personal wheelchair at all times.
Sitting in the office of the Karnataka State Disabled and Caregivers‘ Federation in Bengaluru, she spoke about being a person with disability in a government office. Her colleagues had once told her that she did not have the potential to work like ‘a normal human being’. Her determination had kept her going through the years despite the occasional taunts.
According to data provided by the Disability Commission, the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) report of 2022 showed that the government of Karnataka employed 249 persons with disabilities in Group A jobs, 688 in Group B, 10,038 in Group C, and 927 in Group D jobs. Karnataka has successfully employed persons with disabilities in various government jobs keeping with the reservation percentage specified in the Right to Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act.
Das Suryawanshi, State Commissioner for Disabilities Act, said, “We have achieved the 5% reservation category mentioned in the RPWD Act for Groups C and D, while we have achieved the 4% mark in terms of Group A and B.”
However, for people like Ms. Shobha, work conditions at these offices are not optimal. One of the major problems is the lack of washrooms for persons with disabilities.
“Going to the washroom is a torture, I have stopped drinking water so that I don’t have to use the toilet,” Ms. Shobha said.
The other problem is that of accessibility, even in the Vidhana Soudha and the General Post Office (GPO) in Bengaluru.
Activists said the focus of the government should go beyond just filling up reserved posts. Viswesh Sekhar, an advocate and disability rights activist, congratulated Karnataka for meeting the reservation target, but insisted that the quality of these jobs also matter. “The majority of the jobs are in Groups C and D. It really serves no great purpose because it is not really empowerment of persons with disabilities,” he said.
V.S Basavaraju, ex-commissioner of the Disability Commission, highlighted that initiatives to facilitate intellectually challenged persons are lacking. “Investment in terms of upskilling persons with disabilities is very poor,” he added.
When asked about skill development among persons with disabilities. Mr. Suryawanshi said, “To improve education and skill development to train persons with disabilities for future employment, we have exempted those with 25% disability from the entrance exams at State institutions. Previously, only those with 40% disability were exempt from this rule.”
Activists allege that the grievance meetings organised by the Disability Commission at the district level have become irregular. “Statutory grievances meeting was to be conducted on the third Monday every month, and chaired by Deputy Commissioners, as per a government order. However, it has not been conducted regularly for the last two years, and only three meetings have been held till now,” said Arpuda Rajan, office secretary at the Karnataka State Disabled and Caregivers’ Federation.
Pension for caregivers
The State Disability Commission is in the process of identifying beneficiaries for the payment of maintenance allowance for caregivers of persons with disabilities.
“We will be paying a pension of ₹1,000 for the welfare of caregivers. We are among the few States to have implemented this scheme. For now, we will be paying this allowance only for those who have Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy,” said Das Suryawanshi, State Commissioner for Disabilities Act. The list will soon include a host of other disabilities, like spinal cord injury.
However, persons with disabilities and caregivers said that this amount would not cover the expenses they incur. Viswesh Sekhar argued that the sum is meagre, considering the expenses incurred in taking care of persons with severe or even benchmark disabilities.
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