PwD staff seek exemption from poll duty in Madurai

Madurai: The Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) has urged the district election officer and collector to exempt persons with disabilities (PwDs) from election duty, citing provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.In a representation submitted on Tuesday, the association sought immediate action on pending applications and called for exemptions to be granted without delay. It also requested the withdrawal of notices issued to PwDs who were unable to attend election training sessions due to physical challenges. N Madhibharathi, TARATDAC district president, said that as per Election Commission of India norms, government employees and teachers with disabilities are eligible for exemption from poll duty. "Applications for election duty were compulsorily obtained from every disabled government employee and teacher, which is contrary to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016," he said. He further alleged that "orders for election duty were issued to more than 90% of persons with disabilities, and the first training session has already been completed." Many of them attended the training under difficult circumstances and later reapplied for exemption at the training centres, he added. MSID:: 130090297 413 |