Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 10 2009:
Reiterating its demand to the Government for conducting a separate written test for the disabled candidates in connection with recruitment of primary teachers under the Autonomous District Council within November 22, All Tribal Disabled Union, Manipur (ATDUM) has warned of imposing yet another chakka bandh in all the five hill districts of the State with effect from midnight of November 23 to midnight of November 26 if the demand is not fulfilled.
Announcing this during a press conference, ATDUM president Momo Tangtanga lamented that inspite of repeated appeals and agitations, the Government has not yet given any response to the demand of the Union for providing 3 percent reservation and holding a separate written test for the disabled persons in connection with recruitment of primary teachers under the Autonomous District Councils.
It is said that in accordance with the provisions of the Person With Disabilities (Equal Opportunity, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1996, 3 percent reservation is to be given to the disabled persons at the time of recruitment to Government Departments as well as in admission to educational institutions.
The Act has also given certain other provisions like relaxation of the age limit of persons with disabilities by 10 years, allowing them to written in any written test in local language and issuing notification for conducting the written test 30 days in advance.
However, as the Act has not been fully implemented in Manipur, disabled persons in the State have been deprived of these benefits for the last many years.
Nonetheless, the Govt of Manipur on October 24 this year gave its approval to 3 percent reservation for persons with disabilities.
Subsequently, the written test for recruitment of primary teachers under the Autonomous District Councils in the district districts of the State had been conducted on October 11.At that time, no separate written test had been conducted for the disabled candidates.
While re-iterating the demand for reserving 3 percent of the total 3453 posts of primary teachers to be recruited under the Autonomous District Council, Momo Tangtanga contended that this demand is not of the Union alone but also for the persons with disabilities in Manipur.
So every section of the society should support this demand, he pleaded.
He further informed that the Union has already filed a case in the Gauhati High Court to restrain the Government from declaring the results of the written test conducted on October 11 .