CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed Pandyan Grama Bank to reserve four posts for visually impaired people.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam passed this order after hearing a PIL filed by the secretary of All India Confederation of the Blind, M Muthuselvi, and P Sundaresan of Nagarandhal village in Vandavasi, Tiruvanamalai. The court directed the bank, which has its administrative office in Virudhunagar, to keep vacant four posts -- one in officer Grade level -I, one in Officer Grade Level-II and two posts in the cadre of office assistants for visually impaired till further orders.

The issue pertains to the non-reservation of one per cent of posts in the bank for the category of Persons with Disabilities - Visually Impaired through their advertisement dated June 2, 2015.

The petitioners argued that as per the existing reservation policy, of the three per cent posts reserved for people with disabilities, one per cent should be filled with visually impaired. “The advertisement which failed to mention about the reservation for visually impaired and low vision categories is arbitrary, illegal and in violation of Section 33 of Persons with Disabilities Act,” the petitioners contended.

Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Bank-Directed-to-Block-4-Posts-for-Visually-Impaired/2015/08/29/article2998931.ece