By The Hindu Bureau

Copyright thehindu

Only 1,400 vacancies have been reported by aided school managers for differently aided appointments against the approximate 7,000 vacancies that should be set aside as per the Samanwaya roster, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said.

At a press conference here on Saturday, the Minister alleged that some managers were trying to sabotage reservation for the differently abled.

The Minister said senior officials of the General Education department had held talks with aided school management associations recently. The High Court had directed that till differently abled appointments were made in each aided school in the State, those appointed to vacancies arising between November 18, 2018, and November 8, 2021, were to be given provisional appointment as per the pay scale while those appointed to vacancies arising after November 8, 2021, would be posted on daily wages.

If the backlog of differently abled appointments was cleared and those appointed got approval or procedures were completed as per Section 34 (2) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, appointments continuing in the said category could be regularised by education officers from the date of appointment after verification.

The government, Mr. Sivankutty said, had taken all steps to provide benefits to those appointed provisionally or on daily wages.

He said the government had got legal advice that the Supreme Court judgment in March on a plea by the Nair Service Society that allowed appointments to vacancies other than those reserved for the differently abled was applicable only to aided schools under the society.

He also pointed out that district-level committees had been formed as per the Supreme Court judgment to avoid delays in differently abled appointments. These committees would provide the school managements differently abled candidates from the list of aspirants made available from employment exchanges. Instructions had been given to complete the first batch of appointments by October 25. Any complaints should be made to the committees. Any remaining complaints will be considered at a State-level adalat to be held by November 10. Applications for the adalat should be submitted to the Director of General Education by October 30.

Any protests by aided school managements without making differently aided appointments were politically motivated, the Minister alleged.