Himachal Pradesh Government Takes Action After 800 Days of Protests by Visually Impaired Activists

Government Response to Prolonged Protests

Sunil Chadha
Shimla
After enduring over 800 days of persistent protests from visually impaired activists, the Himachal Pradesh government has shifted from mere promises to actionable measures, addressing long-standing demands concerning employment, welfare programs, and mobility for persons with disabilities (PwDs).

The government's decision follows intensified protests by members of the visually impaired community, who staged a chakka jam outside the state secretariat, disrupting traffic on the busy Cart Road amid severe winter conditions.

During a review meeting in Shimla, the Department for Empowerment of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, Minorities, and Specially Abled Persons (EoSMSA) discussed issues raised by the Visually Impaired Association and other disability advocacy groups, focusing on filling backlog vacancies and improving access to government services.

Efforts to Address Backlog Vacancies

EoSMSA Director Sumit Khimta reported that, to date, only the animal husbandry and printing and stationery departments have advertised positions to fill backlog vacancies reserved for PwDs. Other departments have been instructed to accelerate this process. The school education department has already announced final results for 119 JBT positions designated for persons with disabilities.

Among these, 50 positions have been filled by visually impaired candidates, 49 by orthopaedically challenged individuals, 11 by those with hearing impairments, eight by candidates with multiple disabilities, and one by a person with an intellectual disability.

Additionally, the department has released advertisements for 94 TGT positions, which include 26 reserved for visually impaired candidates and others allocated for hearing-impaired, intellectually disabled, autistic, and multi-disability categories.

Review of Free Travel and Welfare Initiatives

The meeting also addressed the issue of free travel for persons with disabilities on HRTC buses. Officials deliberated on the proposal to make the Him Bus Card mandatory, with the visually impaired association arguing that free travel should not require compulsory documentation. This matter is currently under review by the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

To facilitate access, the department has instructed officials to organize special camps to assist eligible individuals in obtaining Him Bus Cards. Other demands discussed included increasing the Disability Relief Allowance (DRA) under social security pensions, appointing an independent state commissioner for persons with disabilities, implementing the Sahara pension scheme, and ensuring unconditional housing allotments for visually impaired individuals under the Chief Minister’s Housing Scheme.

Policy Matters and Payment Delays

While topics such as raising the DRA amount and extending the retirement age for disabled employees from 58 to 60 years were classified as policy decisions for the state cabinet, officials acknowledged delays in the Sahara pension scheme.

Representatives from the visually impaired association reported that beneficiaries have not received payments for the last six months, prompting the issue to be referred to the health and family welfare department.

Shobhu Ram, president of the association, urged the government to expedite recruitment for backlog vacancies, emphasizing that protesters have endured extensive agitation, including over 70 days of continuous demonstrations outside the secretariat and a parallel protest near the Kali Bari area that has now surpassed 800 days. Activists expressed cautious optimism about the recent developments but warned that protests would persist until tangible relief is achieved.