Panel looking into job quota for disabled, High Court told

Advocate General Ravivarma Kumar submitted to the High Court on Friday that an expert committee was looking into framing job reservations for people who were visually challenged and hearing impaired. 

The Advocate General submitted that the committee was looking at different aspects such as what kind of jobs the disabled could do and how job reservations could be made as per the new directions issued by the Supreme Court.

The submission were made while hearing a petition filed by the National Federation of the Blind which has moved the court seeking reservation as fixed by the Union government.

The petitioner’s advocate Jayna Kothari submitted to the court that there were certain reservations for the blind and persons with low vision under Group A and B and for C and D. She said that for the post of 'Proof reader Braille’, persons with disability had been excluded from applying for the post.

To which the Advocate General said Braille can be read only by a visually challenged person.

The petitioner’s advocate also argued that the State government was yet to implement the Supreme Court’s directions, and while making reservations for the visually challenged and persons with low vision, it should look at the cadre strength instead of the posts available.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice B V Nagarathna observed that the Supreme Court directions must be properly understood before framing reservations for these categories and allotting appropriate posts.
The bench posted the next hearing to February 11.

BBMP officials summoned

The High Court on Friday directed the BBMP to list all the violations committed by Ubhaya Vedantha Pravarthana Sabha, a Veda school located on 10th Cross, Malleswaram, in Bangalore.

 Hearing a PIL about the Sabha violating zonal rules in constructing a shopping complex, a division bench headed by Chief Justice D H Waghela directed that the BBMP officials be present in the court for the next hearing.

The bench came down heavily on the BBMP for not taking stringent action against the violators who have flaunted rules and created a mess in the residential area. The petitioners have contended that Vedantha runs a marriage hall on the second and third floors of the building and that the functions held there resulted in traffic jams and sound pollution in the area.

Observing that issuing of notice of demolition to the violators was not sufficient, Justice Waghela said action should also be taken against them. He said the BBMP was encouraging such illegalities so that they could earn, showing no interest in resolving public grievances. The bench questioned why there were no restraining orders given to stop the noise pollution and directed the BBMP to file an affidavit about the list of violations during the next hearing.

‘Float global tenders ‘

The High Court has directed the State government to float a global tender to resurrect the Mysore Lamp Works Ltd, a public sector undertaking that was shut down in 2002.
Justice Ram Mohan Reddy on Thursday observed that the State government had shown synergy in reviving the company to benefit employees who are presently without any work. In the order, Justice Reddy said it is appropriate to direct the State government to float a global tender inviting bids for revival of the lamp industry, though in the form of manufacturer of light emitting diodes (LED), which will be useful not only to the private sector but also to the public sector. However, the order also gave liberty to impose conditions while inviting tenders. 

Mysore Lamp Staff and Employees’ Union had challenged the closure order before the High Court which was allowed by a single-judge ruling on January 14, 2012, by setting aside the closure order.

The State government had filed an appeal against this order before a division bench and the appeal is still pending.