To, Dated: /05/2013.
The Chairman
Pay Revision Commission,
Government of Andhra Pradesh,
Secretariat, Hyderabad
Respected Sir,
Sub: - Disabled Welfare –PRC – certain facilities to the employees with disability - Necessary consideration – Requested- Regarding.
***&***
We submit that the disabled persons
are weakest among the weaker sections. They need support and help in their day
to day life. The 6th Pay Commission of the Government of India has recommended
for various benefits like enhanced number of casual leave, special aids and
appliances for facilitating office work, higher interest subsidy for automobile
loans, liberal flexi hours, higher rate of transport allowances, better
prosthetic aids and proper grievances redress machinery, Extra allowance for
disabled women employees to take care of young child till the child attains the
age of two years etc.
We have represented the PRC 2010
for extending and enhancing certain concessions to the disabled employees. But
the PRC 2010 has not taken the problems of the disabled employees into
cognizance and not found place in the PRC report. We have also represented to
the Chairman Anomaly Committee, but his report has not seen the light so far.
The following are certain issues where the disabled employees and their
problems are ignored.
1. Conveyance
Allowance:- You
are aware that the mobility rate among the disabled persons is very less
compared with normal persons. Due to their physical deformity, they need some
or other conveyance to go to their office and back to home. In addition,
wherever they want to go they need the special transportation. The cost of
living has gone up and the transport expenses increased enormously, the
Conveyance now being paid is far from the actual expenses and as such the same
may be paid as is being paid by the government of India to its disabled
employees, or a consolidated amount of Rs. 5000/- PM may be allowed to all the
disabled employees without any restrictions.
2. Readers Allowance:- The teachers with visual
impairment need readers assistance for preparation with acquaintance with
current affairs, so as to teach the students. The PRC has to take the real time
situation of the readers demand for the payment into consideration. We request
for payment of Rs.3000/- PM as readers allowance to the entire blind teaching
faculty.
3. Medical Allowance:- We submit that the disabled
persons are susceptible to higher medical problems necessitating frequent
hospital visits due to recurring health problems. They need to maintain
crutches/calipers/hearing aids/guiding sticks etc which require regular Wear
and tear repairs. Every disabled person use pain killers almost every day. As
such All the employees with disabilities may be allowed a special allowance of
Rs. 2000/- PM as medical allowance.
4. Additional Casual
Leaves:- The
disabled persons require frequent medical attendance, and other additional
necessities, for which they need more casual leaves. The Government of India is
also allowing additional casual leaves to the employees with disability keeping
in view of their special needs. In our state, the women teachers are also given
5 days of additional casual leaves in view of their special needs.
We therefore
request you kindly to recommend for 10 days of additional casual leaves to all
the employees with disability.
5. Full pension to
the disabled employees: - The government has extended 10 years of age relaxation to the
disabled persons in recruitment s. Persons who are getting the age relaxation
are not putting up the required service for full pension, which will throw them
in a financial hardship after their retirement. Therefore we request you kindly
to recommend for payment of full pension ie half of the pay last drawn (as is
being allowed in respect of enhanced family pension) without taking the service
into consideration to all the disabled employees or the period which is short
falling may be considered as weight age as was given to SC and ST employees.
6. Mileage allowance:- Many of the disabled employees
are not utilizing the LTC facility extended by the Govt. due to the problems in
public transportation. The same problem is also being faced by them in official
tours. We therefore request you kindly to allow mileage allowance to the
disabled employees in official tours and LTC availment as is being allowed by
Government of India.
7. Special Allowance
for child care for women employees with Disabilities on the lines of Government
of India:- The
Government of India have provided extra benefit of Child care allowance of
Rs.1000/- PM to women employees with
disabilities especially when they have young children and children with
disability. The Women employees with disability are subjected to more stress
and strain compared with normal women employees, as their life itself is burdensome
to them and besides they have to play the roles of a mother, employee and house
wife.
In view of the above we request you
kindly to recommend for the special Child care Allowance of Rs. 2000/- PM on
the lines of government of India
to the women employees with disabilities.
8. Deputation
facility for acquiring further qualifications:- The government is allowing on Duty (Deputation)
facility to the SC and ST employees for acquiring additional qualifications
during the employment because of their late brought up and backwardness. The
disabled persons are also facing the same problem of late brought up due to the
deformity.
We therefore request to kindly
recommend extending the OD facility to the employees with disabilities on par
with the SC and ST employees.
9. Insurance Scheme
to the disabled employees:- As per the Art.67 of the PWD Act, the appropriate Govt. has to frame
an Insurance Scheme and instead of framing Insurance scheme an alternative
Security Scheme may be framed for its disabled employees. Whereas, this
provision is not implemented even after lapse of 18 years, after enacting PwD
act.
We therefore request you to kindly,
recommend for framing a Security Scheme or an Insurance Scheme for disabled
employees as prescribed in the PwD Act.
10. Barrier free
environment in offices: - The Employees with disability constitute weakest and cannot walk
them selves, move by wheelchair and or with the help of others. It is a well
known fact that all most all the office buildings, building entrances and
immediate vicinities of buildings are unfriendly and inaccessible to disabled
persons and most of the times disabled persons themselves make certain
alterations and modifications to office environments where ever required at
their own cost so as to maneuver inside office buildings and in the immediate
vicinity of office buildings. Attending nature calls during office hours is
another biggest nightmare for severely disabled persons. In terms of Sections
44, 45 and 46 of the PWD Act 1995, appropriate Government and Public Sector
undertakings and local agencies shall provide barrier free environment in all
office buildings and public utilities for easy access of persons with
disabilities in the entire population. We request for reasonable and favorable
recommendations in this issue.
11. Extending of
pension to the disabled employees appointed on or after 01/09/2004:- we submit that the employees
with disability, appointed, after introduction of Contributory Pension Scheme
will not get the pension as is being allowed to the existing employees.
According to CPS the employee has to contribute ten percent on the total of Pay
+ DA, without any option, resulting recovery of amount from the salary of the
employee which is becoming a burden. This is applicable to all employees
including disabled employees. The disabled employees, who are prone to
additional & unavoidable expenditure, are unable to bear it. This will
throw them into unstable and non secure future.
We also invite your kind attention
to the Government of India
policy on the pension to defense personnel, which remained unchanged.
Therefore we request you kindly to
recommend continuing the existing pension scheme which is in force prior to
introduction of New Contributory pension Scheme, to employees with disability
and extend the same to the Disabled Employees working in private and public
undertakings including autonomous bodies also. (or)) Formulate a new separate
pension scheme for the disabled employees recruited on after 01/09/2004 and
working in Government/private and public undertakings including autonomous
bodies in the interest of welfare of disabled employees.
12. RELAXATION IN
TRANSFERS AND POSTINGS:- The disabled persons are generally dependents on somebody in their
day to day life. Without the help of their spouse, relatives, and friends it is
very difficult to stay in different places due to lack of facilities like
special bathrooms, barrier free environment etc. The Government of India and
the Banking Sector etc have evolved a separate transfer policy for transfers
and posting of the disabled employees in their convenient place. In view of the
above we request you kindly to recommend framing a transfer policy for
retention / posting of the disabled employees in the places, where they have
facilities and desire to work, with relaxation of ban on native mandal and
dist. postings etc.
We also
submit that our Association will appraise the commission if allowed along with
other service Associations in formulating the formula for PRC Recommendations.
In view of the above, we request
you kindly to consider the above problems and recommend suitably for redress, for which act of kindness the entire disabled
community shall be ever grateful and thankful to you sir.
Yoursfaithfully
(K.AMRUTH REDDY) PRESIDENT
Copy submitted to the Principal Secretary to Govt. Dept for the WCD&SC for kind necessary action.
Copy submitted to the Commissioner for the disabled Welfare AP, Hyd. with a similar request.
