CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government has decided to immediately clear the backlog of the posts reserved for the blind and partially blind persons in the state. 

An assurance to this effect was given by Punjab Chief Minister  Parkash Singh Badal to a delegation of Naterheen Jagarities Sangh Punjab (visually challenged persons) led by General Secretary Prof. Rajnish Mahal which called on  Badal and submitted a charter of demands to him here at his official residence this afternoon. 

Badal asked the state Chief Secretary to direct all the Administrative Secretaries and Heads of the Departments to intimate the position of vacant posts in their concerned departments reserved for the blind and partially blind persons so that these posts could be filled on the top priority.  The Chief Minister also asked the Secretary Social Security to undertake an exercise to identify the posts where such visually challenged persons could be adjusted as they had tremendous capabilities and capacities.  Mr. Badal also asked the department of school education to utilize the services and skills of visually impaired persons for teaching the subjects like vocal & instrumental music and art & craft. 

Likewise the Chief Minister also assured the members of the delegation that state government would soon seek an opinion of the Advocate General to ensure that the posts reserved for blind and partially blind persons should be strictly given to the eligible persons only under this category on the Haryana pattern and not to the other categories like hearing impaired and orthopedically challenged. 

The Chief Minister also asked the Secretary Social Security to personally visit the state institute for blind at Jamalpur in Ludhiana district this week to have first hand information about the short comings in the institute in terms of infrastructure and staff besides the hardships faced by the blind students.  He also promised to install a new in browsour machine for the printing of brail books and literature for the blind students at a cost of Rs.32 lakh for the Jamalpur Institute during the current financial year.  The Chief Minister also assured that the state government would extent all possible help and financial assistance to the institute to make it as one of the best institutes in the region after Dheradun in Uttrakhand. 

Prominent amongst who were present in the meeting included Social Security Minister Ch. Swarna Ram, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister to Chief Minister DS Guru, Principal Secretary Social Security NS Kang, Commissioner for Disabilities Harjit Singh, Director Social Security Ms.Rakhi Gupta Bhandari, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Parveen Kumar and DPI Schools Dr.JS Khatra.