Panel stays Utkal hiring move : Bhubaneshwar

The State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD), a quasi judicial body, has stayed the recruitment process of faculty members in Utkal University for ignoring reservation norms for physically challenged people. The university had advertised for 50 posts of teachers in June in one of the largest recruitment drives in recent years and had started scrutiny of the applicants recently.

The SCPD order came on November 15, while hearing a petition of Sannyash Behera, a visually challenged person and coordinator of NGO Odisha Disabled People's Network, that the institution did not follow the provisions in the Person with Disabilities (equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, under which three per cent of vacancies in government jobs are reserved for the special category.

"In case the recruitment process continues and reaches its finality, there shall be deprivation of rights of the persons with disabilities," commissioner Kasturi Mohapatra wrote in her order.

The SCPD had asked the university on July 30 to issue a corrigendum to its advertisement spelling out vacancies reserved for the disabled. Citing that the university had not implemented SCPD's said order, Mohapatra said, "It is found appropriate that the recruitment process be stayed to safeguard the interest of the persons with disabilities until compliance of the July 30 order."

The SCPD observed that the university had not complied with its direction despite three reminders. Registrar Banani Mohanty conveyed to the commission on October 30 that the syndicate, the apex decision-making body of the varsity, would take up the SCPD's earlier order on November 4.

However, there was no further communication thereafter. The complainance on the other hand alleged that scrutiny of the applications had started without compliance of the commission direction.

The university in its advertisement had mentioned that eight of the 50 posts are reserved for persons with disabilities without being specific about which posts.

"The advertisement is for 50 posts in over 20 different disciplines and at three levels of professor, reader and lecturer. Unless a disabled person knows which post is reserved for them, how they can apply?" said petitioner Behera.

Vice-chancellor P K Sahoo said the varsity is examining the commissioner's order. "We will take the most appropriate decision according to the rules," he said. Registrar Banani Mohanty declined to comment.



Source : TOI , 19th Nov 2013