News

Volume 6 Issue 8 - October 01, 2009

Hush hush appointment of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities

D.N.I.S. News Network, India: For quite some time now, the disability sector has been demanding the appointment of a Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. The post has been lying vacant for several months now. But recently Sangita Gairola, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, took additional charge as the new Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. What is disturbing is that the government did not feel the need to announce such an important decision. D.N.I.S. spoke to Arvind Pareek, Deputy Director - Media, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment about this hush hush affair.

“We do not release any press release for any appointments,” Pareek said. “All press releases are sanctioned by the Minister and we did not get any orders to make this public,” he added.

The fact that the post was lying vacant for so long was brought to the Prime Minister’s notice when delegates of the National Committee for Persons with Disabilities - India (N.C.R.P.D. - India) met Dr. Manmohan Singh in July. The disability sector has also long been demanding that the Chief Commissioner should be a person with disability.