Regularise service of 400 disabled persons, KPTCL told

The Karnataka High Court has directed the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) to regularise the service of around 400 physically challenged persons with effect from December 29, 2010.

The court gave this direction while hearing a petition challenging the employment notification dated September 8, 2016 issued by KPTCL inviting applications for the posts of assistants and junior assistants.

Justice L Narayanaswamy was hearing the petition been filed by physically challenged persons - Shashikala and others - seeking directions from the court to the respondents to consider regularisation of their service in the respective electricity supply companies (Escoms).

The petitioners contended that the Parliament has enacted the ‘Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995 and the main objective of the Act is to make special provisions for persons with disabilities to include them in the mainstream of the society.

The petitioners also contended that the Chapter 6 of the Act provides for employment of persons with disabilities. It provides for the identification and reservation of posts and filling up of vacancies, they said.

The petitioners said that the KPTCL, through a notification dated May 18, 2007, had invited applications for the recruitment of persons with disabilities for filling up the posts of 600 revenue assistants. The notification also provides for the classification of vacancies as per the applicable reservation policy of the state.

The petitioners further contended that the KPTCL board had regularised the posts of junior engineers (disabled) from 2010, but did not regularise their service. Now, it is inviting fresh applications for the posts of assistants and junior assistants, they claimed.