Showing posts with label special casual leave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label special casual leave. Show all posts

Thursday, May 22, 2014

DoPT issued the Memorandum on Facilities for Govt. Employees for efficient performance of duties

Dear Colleagues,

Please refer to earlier post dated 18 Feb 2014 titled "Guidelines for Comments - Facilities for Govt. Employees with Disabilities for efficient performance of Duties" wherein I had placed before you the draft from the sector and what it became when it went to the DoPT. 

The DoPT has finally notified the draft with some changes vide its OM No.No.36035/3/2013-Estt.(Res) dated 31st March 2014 which are as below:

Accessibility and Barrier free environment at workplace. Following has been added which has improved the earlier draft : 
Lifts/elevators should be made accessible by providing Braille signage and audio outputs. Wherever required, suitable colour contrast may also be made available in buildings, utilities, staircases, etc. for the benefit of low vision employees. 
Special casual leave
In the earlier draft a special casual leave of 15 days mainly for inpatient treatment in CGHS recommended hospitals was given over and above all other leaves/ special casual leaves. However, in the final version, it takes away the leave sought to be granted. It now find mentions only of the existing four days leave in a calendar year for attending medical needs and 10 days leave for attending disability related conferences etc.  thereby defeating the objective of 15 days special leave. This means the section has literally been rendered useless as it doesn't give anything new and only reiterates what was existing earlier.
Guidelines have some positive things too

The guidelines though not close to what we had demanded, are a good beginning since it now gives the employees with disabilities the following facilities as a matter of right among others:

(a) Post recruitment and Pre-promotion Training. 
(b) Provision of aids/ assistive devices
(c) Accessibility & barrier free environment at workplace.
(d) Preference in Govt. Accommodation 
(e) Grievance redressal mechanisms &
(f) Preference in transfer/posting

Download the policy in PDF by clicking the weblink below:

OM No.No.36035/3/2013-Estt.(Res) dated 31st March 2014 titled "Guidelines for providing certain facilities in respect of persons with disabilities who are already employed in Government for efficient performance of their duties