Sunday 26 May 2013

Representation to PRC on demands of the employees with disability- Suggestion if any, invited:



To,                                                                    Dated:         /05/2013.
The Chairman
Pay Revision Commission,
Government of Andhra Pradesh,
Secretariat, Hyderabad

Respected Sir,

Sub: - Disabled Welfare –PRC – certain facilities to the employees with                disability - Necessary consideration – Requested- Regarding.
                                                          ***&***
We submit that the disabled persons are weakest among the weaker sections. They need support and help in their day to day life. The 6th Pay Commission of the Government of India has recommended for various benefits like enhanced number of casual leave, special aids and appliances for facilitating office work, higher interest subsidy for automobile loans, liberal flexi hours, higher rate of transport allowances, better prosthetic aids and proper grievances redress machinery, Extra allowance for disabled women employees to take care of young child till the child attains the age of two years etc.
We have represented the PRC 2010 for extending and enhancing certain concessions to the disabled employees. But the PRC 2010 has not taken the problems of the disabled employees into cognizance and not found place in the PRC report. We have also represented to the Chairman Anomaly Committee, but his report has not seen the light so far. The following are certain issues where the disabled employees and their problems are ignored.

1. Conveyance Allowance:- You are aware that the mobility rate among the disabled persons is very less compared with normal persons. Due to their physical deformity, they need some or other conveyance to go to their office and back to home. In addition, wherever they want to go they need the special transportation. The cost of living has gone up and the transport expenses increased enormously, the Conveyance now being paid is far from the actual expenses and as such the same may be paid as is being paid by the government of India to its disabled employees, or a consolidated amount of Rs. 5000/- PM may be allowed to all the disabled employees without any restrictions.

2. Readers Allowance:- The teachers with visual impairment need readers assistance for preparation with acquaintance with current affairs, so as to teach the students. The PRC has to take the real time situation of the readers demand for the payment into consideration. We request for payment of Rs.3000/- PM as readers allowance to the entire blind teaching faculty.

3. Medical Allowance:- We submit that the disabled persons are susceptible to higher medical problems necessitating frequent hospital visits due to recurring health problems. They need to maintain crutches/calipers/hearing aids/guiding sticks etc which require regular Wear and tear repairs. Every disabled person use pain killers almost every day. As such All the employees with disabilities may be allowed a special allowance of Rs. 2000/- PM as medical allowance.

4. Additional Casual Leaves:- The disabled persons require frequent medical attendance, and other additional necessities, for which they need more casual leaves. The Government of India is also allowing additional casual leaves to the employees with disability keeping in view of their special needs. In our state, the women teachers are also given 5 days of additional casual leaves in view of their special needs.
          We therefore request you kindly to recommend for 10 days of additional casual leaves to all the employees with disability.

5. Full pension to the disabled employees: - The government has extended 10 years of age relaxation to the disabled persons in recruitment s. Persons who are getting the age relaxation are not putting up the required service for full pension, which will throw them in a financial hardship after their retirement. Therefore we request you kindly to recommend for payment of full pension ie half of the pay last drawn (as is being allowed in respect of enhanced family pension) without taking the service into consideration to all the disabled employees or the period which is short falling may be considered as weight age as was given to SC and ST employees.

6. Mileage allowance:- Many of the disabled employees are not utilizing the LTC facility extended by the Govt. due to the problems in public transportation. The same problem is also being faced by them in official tours. We therefore request you kindly to allow mileage allowance to the disabled employees in official tours and LTC availment as is being allowed by Government of India.

7. Special Allowance for child care for women employees with Disabilities on the lines of Government of India:- The Government of India have provided extra benefit of Child care allowance of Rs.1000/- PM  to women employees with disabilities especially when they have young children and children with disability. The Women employees with disability are subjected to more stress and strain compared with normal women employees, as their life itself is burdensome to them and besides they have to play the roles of a mother, employee and house wife.
In view of the above we request you kindly to recommend for the special Child care Allowance of Rs. 2000/- PM on the lines of government of India to the women employees with disabilities.

8. Deputation facility for acquiring further qualifications:- The government is allowing on Duty (Deputation) facility to the SC and ST employees for acquiring additional qualifications during the employment because of their late brought up and backwardness. The disabled persons are also facing the same problem of late brought up due to the deformity.
We therefore request to kindly recommend extending the OD facility to the employees with disabilities on par with the SC and ST employees.

9. Insurance Scheme to the disabled employees:- As per the Art.67 of the PWD Act, the appropriate Govt. has to frame an Insurance Scheme and instead of framing Insurance scheme an alternative Security Scheme may be framed for its disabled employees. Whereas, this provision is not implemented even after lapse of 18 years, after enacting PwD act.
We therefore request you to kindly, recommend for framing a Security Scheme or an Insurance Scheme for disabled employees as prescribed in the PwD Act.

10. Barrier free environment in offices: - The Employees with disability constitute weakest and cannot walk them selves, move by wheelchair and or with the help of others. It is a well known fact that all most all the office buildings, building entrances and immediate vicinities of buildings are unfriendly and inaccessible to disabled persons and most of the times disabled persons themselves make certain alterations and modifications to office environments where ever required at their own cost so as to maneuver inside office buildings and in the immediate vicinity of office buildings. Attending nature calls during office hours is another biggest nightmare for severely disabled persons. In terms of Sections 44, 45 and 46 of the PWD Act 1995, appropriate Government and Public Sector undertakings and local agencies shall provide barrier free environment in all office buildings and public utilities for easy access of persons with disabilities in the entire population. We request for reasonable and favorable recommendations in this issue.

11. Extending of pension to the disabled employees appointed on or after 01/09/2004:- we submit that the employees with disability, appointed, after introduction of Contributory Pension Scheme will not get the pension as is being allowed to the existing employees. According to CPS the employee has to contribute ten percent on the total of Pay + DA, without any option, resulting recovery of amount from the salary of the employee which is becoming a burden. This is applicable to all employees including disabled employees. The disabled employees, who are prone to additional & unavoidable expenditure, are unable to bear it. This will throw them into unstable and non secure future. 
We also invite your kind attention to the Government of India policy on the pension to defense personnel, which remained unchanged.
Therefore we request you kindly to recommend continuing the existing pension scheme which is in force prior to introduction of New Contributory pension Scheme, to employees with disability and extend the same to the Disabled Employees working in private and public undertakings including autonomous bodies also. (or)) Formulate a new separate pension scheme for the disabled employees recruited on after 01/09/2004 and working in Government/private and public undertakings including autonomous bodies in the interest of welfare of disabled employees.

12. RELAXATION IN TRANSFERS AND POSTINGS:- The disabled persons are generally dependents on somebody in their day to day life. Without the help of their spouse, relatives, and friends it is very difficult to stay in different places due to lack of facilities like special bathrooms, barrier free environment etc. The Government of India and the Banking Sector etc have evolved a separate transfer policy for transfers and posting of the disabled employees in their convenient place. In view of the above we request you kindly to recommend framing a transfer policy for retention / posting of the disabled employees in the places, where they have facilities and desire to work, with relaxation of ban on native mandal and dist. postings etc.

          We also submit that our Association will appraise the commission if allowed along with other service Associations in formulating the formula for PRC Recommendations.

In view of the above, we request you kindly to consider the above problems and recommend suitably for redress, for which act of kindness the entire disabled community shall be ever grateful and thankful to you sir. 
                                                                        Yoursfaithfully
                                                                    (K.AMRUTH REDDY)                                                                           PRESIDENT
Copy submitted to the Principal Secretary to Govt. Dept for the WCD&SC for kind necessary action.
Copy submitted to the Commissioner for the disabled Welfare AP, Hyd. with a similar request.