AHMEDABAD: While the central government is pushing the cause of people with disabilities, termed divyangs, and has also passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill last year, the state seems to have missed the message. The appointment of a blind teacher from Amreli has been cancelled, even though he passed the required examination for a job in the Cluster Resource Centre (CRC). He is running from pillar to post for the job, though according to the bill provisions, every government department should have 4% reservation for persons with disabilities.

Ravi Senjaliya, 33, who works as a secondary section teacher for languages at Kumar Shala, Khambha, Amreli has 100% blindness. Senjaliya had appeared for the jobs in cluster resource centre (CRC) and block resource centre (BRC) as coordinator. He had passed the written examination with the help of a writer.

After going for document assessment and giving job preference, Senjaliya was surprised to get a letter on May 26 from the district project coordinator, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan of Amreli district informing him that they could not give him the job due to his blindness. The letter mentioned that the decision had been taken after consultation with the Gandhinagar-based senior officers due to nature of the job.

"The job announcement did not bar persons with disabilities," said Senjaliya. "I am already working as a teacher for the past four years and have a good academic record. I use computer by help of screen reader and have also taken training for using technology imparted by GCERT for teachers. What all I say is give me a chance to prove myself during probation period. It is just wrong to cancel the appointment of the only blind candidate due to his handicap," said Senjaliya, adding that he would approach the government officers soon.

Prakash Trivedi, secretary of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan for Gujarat, said that the job requirements are different than that of a teacher as the person has to review education quality, process data and prepare elaborate reports, mixing field work and administrative job. "Thus, we had to cancel the appointment," he said.

Bhushan Punani, executive secretary, Blind People's Association (BPA), said that Gujarat has examples such as Ravi Arora who is Navsari collector and Rajnish Mulwani, DIET principal, who are visually impaired but are exemplary in their respective fields.

"Today technology is playing a major part of enabler for persons with disabilities and I believe that the candidate should be provided a chance to prove himself," he said.