Grace marks instead of regularising diff-abled staff exposes DMK, says Anbumani

CHENNAI: PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss has accused the DMK government of betraying differently-abled employees by cancelling their right to job regularisation through a new Government Order (GO).

In a statement, Anbumani said that a GO by the Department for the Welfare of the Differently Abled Persons on October 30 has withdrawn the earlier provisions that allowed differently-abled staff on temporary rolls to get a permanent position after working for over two years.

"According to the new order, differently-abled workers in temporary positions will only receive additional marks, between 5 and 10, depending on their years of service, during recruitment exams or interviews. This appears beneficial on the surface but effectively nullifies earlier orders, which granted regularisation rights and allowed special recruitment drives," he added.

Over 1,000 differently-abled employees are hit by the new rule, he said. Many with up to 20 years of service will never be regularised as per the new GO. They must now compete in open exams with the younger generation, which is unfair, the PMK leader said.

He accused the DMK of hypocrisy, saying it often boasts of championing the rights of differently abled persons but has instead "erected a wall blocking their future."

Calling the move a grave social injustice, Ramadoss warned that the differently abled community would "teach the DMK a lesson in the upcoming Assembly election." He added that the PMK will ensure regularisation for all differently-abled temporary workers in the next regime.