No job quota: Disabled tick OPEPA off

BHUBANESWAR: Physically-challenged persons of the State have resented the Orissa Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA) decision not to provide any reservation to them as far as employment is concerned. OPEPA authorities claimed that being a registered society, it is not entitled to give reservation of any kind. But the persons with disabilities have a different view. Sources said in the eighth executive meeting of the OPEPA, a resolution was passed for not providing reservation to persons with disabilities in any contractual posts.  Under the aegis of Odisha Disabled People’s Network (ODPN), the physically-challenged persons said that in December last, the OPEPA had notified for appointment of block resource persons in every block. And according to the  resolution passed in the meeting, no reservation was provided for persons with disabilities. Protesting this and demanding quashing of the resolution, the State coordinator of ODPN Sanyas Behera said OPEPA is a State Government-owned society and funded by the Centre. “Since it is a government-run society, there has to be scope for reservation for people like us. And if that is not the case, then this is a violation of the Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995,” said Behera. Earlier, the OPDN had written to the OPEPA State Project Director Krushna Gopal Mohapatra who had assured them to put forth their demands in the executive committee meeting on Monday, chaired by Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik. However, it was just decided in the meeting that job  opportunities for persons with disabilities will be identified henceforth. “This is an eyewash. Job opportunities should have been identified ever since the OPEPA came into existence as a registered society in 1996 and the process should be done once in every three years as per the Disability Act,” Behera said. To lodge their protest, 200 members of OPDN and several other organisations working for the cause of persons with disabilities on Wednesday staged a dharna and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister. They have decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike from Thursday if their demand is not looked into.