14,000 vacancies identified for disabled in government sector: Thaawar Chand Gehlot

NEW DELHI: The Centre today said over 14,000 vacancies have been identified for persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the government sector and a special recruitment drive would be launched for filling up the vacancies by February next year.

Replying to a question on the issue in Rajya Sabha, Union Social Justice Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot said the Department of Personnel and Training has informed on August 5, 2015 that as per the data received from various departments or ministries, attached and subordinate offices, nationalised banks, financial institutions, Central Public Sector Undertakings, there were 14,267 vacancies identified for PwD.

This, inter-alia, included backlog vacancies carried forward from earlier years, he added.

The Government has constituted an inter-Ministerial Committee on May 22, 2015 to monitor the progress of filling up of vacancies for PwDs, he added.

"Government has issued instructions on May 22, 2015 to all concerned to take immediate necessary action for filling up of vacancies for PwDs and to launch a special recruitment drive to fill up those vacancies by February, 2016," the Minister said.

Gehlot further said that Section 33 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 mandates every appropriate government to appoint in every establishment such per centage of vacancies not less than three per cent for person or class of PwDs.