‘Jobs assurance’
LAHORE
The visually impaired on Tuesday postponed their protest until Friday after guarantee from the government of handing over orders of job-contracts to all according to their qualifications.Riaz Ahmad, a protester said that police officials late night had lifted them from Kalma Chowk and shifted to a hotel near railway station. He said that since then, about 250 of their members were staying there. The government had arranged food and residence for them.
He said, in the morning, secretaries of different departments, CCPO, DCO and the Punjab government spokesperson Zaeem Qadri held negotiations with them. They (protesters) demanded orders of acceptance of their demands on immediate basis, he added.
The government officials sought three days from them to prepare ground work and orders.
Ahmad, another protester from Faisalabad said that the government had agreed to provide job-contracts to every member of their community according to his/her qualification. A three-member working committee had been formulated to prepare a list of their community members, he added. He said that the committee comprised of members from their community and their job was to register every unemployed member of their community, his qualification and other details.
Muhammad Javed said that social security department had advertised 3,900 jobs from grade 01-04 from disabled quota. He said that out of 3,900 jobs, 1,600 had been fulfilled. He said that only 192 visually impaired persons were given jobs. He said that about 162 persons falling in category of deaf and dumb had jobs, while the rest of 1,600 jobs from special persons quota were occupied by physically disabled persons. He said that the government was playing with their community through these digits. He said that instead of providing them jobs, they would mock at them when they appeared in interviews. He said that they would make derogatory remarks like how a blind person could serve tea, clean things or guard a building. He said that as most of the jobs from grade 01-04 were either of guards, watchman, helper, gardener, driver or peon. He said that they would again come on roads if government did not accept their demands as per negotiations until Friday.
CM: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has issued instructions for resolving the issue of blind persons with mutual understanding and said they are like our children and their proper care should be ensured. He directed the concerned authorities to resolve the problems of blind persons in an amicable manner in accordance with the law.
Meanwhile, Punjab government’s spokesman Zaeem Qadri has said the government is considering the demands of the blind persons seriously. He said injustice would not be tolerated. He said on the directives of the CM, problems of blind persons were being resolved on priority. He asked the blind persons to let the affairs run smoothly as their demands had been accepted. He regretted inconvenience faced by the Lahorites due to protest of the blind persons.
Zaeem Qadri expressed these views while addressing a press conference at Punjab Directorate General Public Relations on Tuesday. Secretary Social Welfare Haroon Rafique and Secretary Special Education Ambreen Raza were present. Zaeem Qadri told the media that increase of quota in jobs was the top most demand of the blind persons which was not only accepted but being implemented. He said under three per cent quota instead of two per cent, 3,435 vacancies for the blind persons were advertised in government departments last year, out of which, blind persons had been recruited on 1718 vacancies and they were performing their duties efficiently. Zaeem Qadri said 1800 Khidmat cards had been distributed among disabled persons and added more than two lakh Khidmat cards would be provided to the disabled persons. He said ten years upper age relaxation had been given to the disabled persons for recruitment.
He said Sahulat Centres had been set up at provincial and district level for the disabled persons and registration of blind persons. Zaeem Qadri said special identity cards had been launched for disabled persons and 50 per cent concession had been given to special persons for bus fare and air fare.
“Similarly, free treatment facilities are being provided to disabled persons. On the admission of disabled persons in government universities, laptops will be given to them and all educational expenses have been eliminated in government educational institutions for disabled persons. The facility of a helper has been provided to disabled persons for participation in CSS examination. A website is being launched for the guidance of disabled persons,” he said.