Last week, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice Hemant Gupta had issued notices to the Chandigarh Administration, Department of Social Welfare-cum-Commissioner for Persons with Disability and the Union Department of Personnel. The details are to be submitted in court on February 24.

The petitioner, an NGO named All India Blind Employees Association, had sought directions to the authorities to take necessary steps to identify posts reserved for disabled persons as provided under The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 and also to file an affidavit indicating the number of vacancies for reserved posts for the handicapped in various departments.

As an interim measure, the petitioner had sought directions for restraining recruitment in all departments on any post on which a disabled person could be appointed, until the backlog of reserved posts for handicapped persons (as on December 2006) is filled.

Despite taking its own time to file a response, the UT Administration again sought an adjournment on February 2, when the case came up for hearing. Giving one last opportunity, the Division Bench held: “Yet another adjournment is being sought to compile information on the backlog of vacancies reserved for handicapped candidates. We wish to make it clear that in case the requisite information is not made available to the court on the next date of hearing, we shall be left with no alternative but to stay further appointments in all departments till vacancies are set apart and the disabled candidates appointed.”