Bhubaneswar, Aug. 3: The state government is taking steps to increase representations of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in government organisations.
Last year, 16 PwDs had qualified in the Odisha Civil Services examination.
Free pre-recruitment training will be provided to the differently-abled people for various posts in government sectors, including banks, railway, insurance and competitive examinations for other posts.
Secretary of the social security and empowerment of Persons with Disabilities department Nitin Chandra said: "The PwDs, who are graduate but unemployed, must apply on the department website to avail themselves of the three-month free coaching for recruitment examinations."
Also, a modern career library with grant of Rs 50 lakh will be set up on the National Career Service Centre for Differently-abled's premises at Gandamunda. "Both the coaching centre and the library will start functioning next month," said Chandra.
State commissioner for the PwDs Minati Behera said: "The Rights of PwD Act, 2016, stipulates at least 4 per cent reservation in government jobs, 5 per cent in higher education and inclusion of the PwDs in mainstream through skill development and vocational training programmes."
She also said the act had severe penal provisions for non-compliance of the same and commission would keep a close watch on its implementation. However, activists feel that the number of students from Odisha qualifying national-level recruitment exams is less compared to other states. "The representation is quite higher in other parts of the country, but here it is very low. We have to provide them with better training opportunities to make sure that they at least get a chance to perform," said social activist Asit Kumar Behera.
Besides, the state government has directed for the reservation of 5 per cent seats of the PwDs in all the Plus Two and Plus Three colleges in Odisha to ensure that they had easy access to higher education.
"The directive has been issued to the necessary authorities, and they have been asked to follow the system strictly," said a higher education department official.
