June 28: Advertisements of vacancies do not always make job seekers happy.

Sample this: several district administrations, including Giridih, have advertised to fill up vacancies in various departments. But the sudden job shower prospect has not been received gladly by all.

Meet Aftab Alam Siddiqui, an unemployed but eligible graduate, who is not happy even though so many vacancies have come up in different departments in Giridih and other districts of the state for the first time since the formation of the state.

Reason: Siddiqui is a physically challenged (more than 70 per cent) candidate but no reservation for them has been mentioned in the advertisements posted by different departments here.

The rural development department, under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), has announced to recruit 358 gram rojgar sevaks. The education department, under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, would fill around 50 posts, including 24 block programme officers.

None of the notifications of these vacancies mentioned reservation of seats for physically challenged persons. Reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes have been mentioned, though.

According to sources, no reservation for physically challenged persons have been mentioned in the advertisements put up by other district administrations either.

According to rule, three per cent reservation in all Group A and B posts and five per cent reservation in Group C and D posts are compulsory for physically challenged persons. According to government officials, persons with disabilities are entitled for three per cent horizontal reservations. This means in each of the categories — SC, ST and OBCs — there would be reservation for disabled persons.

“There is already a government circular that physically pchallenged persons would get reservation in case of vacancies in different government jobs, both permanent and contract. Persons selected against the quota for disabled have to be placed in the appropriate category of ST, SC and OBC,” said a personnel department official.

It is up to the district administrations to earmark the quota for the disabled persons. However, social organisations attached with the activities of the NREGA scheme alleged that physically challenged are being overlooked in appointments under the scheme.

“The vacancies that are declared in other parts of the country adhere to certain rules for reservation of seats for such candidates. But those rules are not followed in Jharkhand. If the government does not understand our problems, where will we go?” asked Siddiqui. He is not the only one who is looking towards the local administration and the government for support.

“If the government does not reserve seats for us we will have to move the court,” said Raushan Lal, another physically-challenged candidate.

Deputy commissioner (DC) Birendra Ram could not be contacted for comments on the issue, but other DCs blamed the state government for not issuing any specific guideline for appointing disabled under NREGA scheme.

“The government is silent on appointment of physically challenged persons. How can we make appointments when there is no mention?” asked a deputy commissioner.