Punjab govt fixes quota for the visually impaired

LAHORE: The Punjab government has issued a notification to set aside one percent quota for the visually impaired out of the three percent quota for the disabled persons in government jobs, fulfilling the long-standing demand of the blind.

According to the documents received by “Jang”, on the summary sent by the Secretary Social Welfare and Baitul Maal, the Punjab Cabinet has extended the contract of 1157 blind persons who were provided jobs on the daily wage basis in 2022 for the third time. It has also been approved. According to the documents, the Punjab government provided jobs to 1600 visually impaired people on various occasions from 2014 to 2022. Out of these 350 blind persons were shifted to either contract or regular employment mode in various departments.

The visually emancipated persons (VIPs) have been protesting and staging sit-ins since 2014 in over various demands for adjustment on the basis of daily wage basis. Earlier, 6 secretaries of Social Welfare Department came but practically no progress could be made regarding the demands of the blind people.

When contacted by “Jang”, Secretary Social Welfare and Baitul Maal Javed Akhtar Mahmood said that the special directive of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has fulfilled the long-standing demand of blind people and all the obstacles to it have been removed immediately.

Secretary Social Welfare Punjab said that under the Punjab Government Rules of Business 2011, the Department of Social Affairs and Baitul Mal has been mandated to provide registration, assessment, training, employment and rehabilitation facilities to the disabled persons.

In addition, the department is empowered to implement the Punjab Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2022. Javed Akhtar Mahmood said that for the first time in the history of Punjab, blind people have been included in the Hamat card program along with other disabled people, in which they will also get Rs10,500 stipends per quarter.

Punjab Chief MinisterMaryam Nawaz Sharif launched the program on October 3, 2024 and the first installment of payment to PWDs has been started. Another Rs 1 billion have been sanctioned for the physically challenged people for provision of wheelchairs, hearing aids, prosthetics and other assistive devices.

Secretary Social Welfare Punjab said that efforts are being made to turn all the public buildings of the province accessible to the disabled and several meetings have been held with various departments and relevant stakeholders in this regard. Javed Akhtar Mahmood said that appropriate building codes have been prepared for disabled persons, on which the Department of Communications and Construction has been instructed to construct public buildings under these codes. He said that the Punjab Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2022 promotes and ensures effective inclusion of persons with disabilities in the community and protects their rights as per the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.