HC directs official to appear in person

The Madras High Court today directed the Commissioner for the Department of Differently- Abled Persons to personally appear in the court and explain its stand on filling up of backlog vacancies in the quota earmarked for persons with special needs.
A PIL was filed by Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) seeking a direction from the court to quash an advertisement issued by the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) on July 14, 2014, for direct recruitment of B.T Assistants.
They also sought a direction to issue a fresh notification as per a March 4, 2014, Government Order by which all departments were directed to fill the backlog vacancies pending by conducting special recruitment drives.

The TARATDAC submitted that there are 1107 backlog vacancies to be filled for the persons with disabilities through the TRB.
In order to protect the interest of the persons with disability, parliament has enacted Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunity) Protection of Rights and full Participation Act-1995.
The Act provides three per cent reservation for persons with disabilities in education, employment and other opportunities.

The petitioner contended that the TRB without complying with the Act issued a notification for filling up the vacancies.
The counsel for the Commissioner for the Department of Differently-Abled has not clearly stated the present vacancy position, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh said and ordered the Commissioner to be present personally and explain its stand on filling up of backlog vacancies in the quota earmarked for differently-abled persons.

The bench posted the matter to January 22 for further hering.