Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 12: While the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) have been demanding the implementation of the Disabilities Act, 2016 in the Union Territory of J&K for years, the representative organization of such people has now raised the issue of reservation quota in all the formats of elections to be held in J&K.
It is a demand which they have conveyed to the Delimitation Commission which was recently on a 3-day tour to J&K and it has been assured that the issue would be raised with the Central Government.
Abdul Rashid Bhat, President J&K Handicapped Association (JKHA) told Excelsior that there are a large numbers of ‘specially-abled persons in our country and some 21 categories have been identified under RPWD Act 2016 by the Government of India.
“But, it is unfortunate that the Government agencies and lawmakers have ignored us from time to time in every field and thus our life has become harder,” he said.
He said, that they have been demanding for years that the status of the right to the election and the right to be represented for the PwDs in India and 10% reservation quota should be given to them in all the formats of elections like General Elections, Assembly Elections, BDCs, DDCs, Panchayat, and Municipal Elections.
“It would surely help in empowering the PwDs in the countries as well as in J&K,” he said.
He said that the representatives of the Association recently met with the members of the Delimitation Commission who assured them that their demands would be conveyed to the Government.
He said that they have, in the memorandum presented to the Delimitation Commission, impressed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should guarantee to PwDs the political right and the opportunity to enjoy equal rights.
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