Differently-abled people protest to implement 5pc job reservation quota

“After completing my degree I started looking for jobs at different companies, but because of my disability, I was rejected everywhere saying that it would be difficult for me to work. For over a year, I tried to get a job for myself but nobody was ready to recruit. As we didn’t have any source of income I started working at a nearby Xerox shop to support my family. Though after announcing the reservation quota the order has not been implemented, so we have given application to the district collector for job opportunity," said Sharadha, a differently-abled person in the protest held at Chennai district collector office.

The GO was issued on July 7, and it should be implemented within three months but they are yet to do it. Thousands of disabled people at 18-40 years protesting in front of the district collectors office across Tamil Nadu. They urged tlofficials to accept their job application form and conduct a special interview camp for differently-abled people soon.

“Even though they are capable of doing the work, companies are not giving an opportunity to explore their talents, so they are always depending on others. The majority of them are graduated, only a few finished 8th standard who are still unemployed. Still, there are more than 10 people with blind disabilities waiting in front of differently-abled office seeking jobs but there is no proper response from them. Until they give us assurance that they would conduct a special interview for the disabled people we will continue to protest,” said B Jansirani, State President, Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently-abled and Caregivers.

During the protest, they said that through this reservations quota many differently-abled families would be benefitted and all the companies would recruit people with disabilities without any hesitation hereafter.

A senior official at the differently abled welfare department said, “The district collectors are working on this specific order and they are exploring different fields to provide work for differently-abled people.”