Tamil Nadu   

Give the disabled a chance, says Chidambaram

Special Correspondent

Over 1000 differently-abled candidates throng the exclusive job fair

CHENNAI: Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Sunday urged the corporate sector to provide jobs to the physically challenged and pointed out that "differently-abled people are not disabled."

"A faculty or an organ [in them] is deficient, but they more than make up for that by being able to use other faculties and organs more efficiently," he declared inaugurating EmployABILITY-2006, a job fair organised here exclusively for them.

The Union Minister, who due to a sore throat had his speech read out, said the young men and women participants were educated. "They are qualified ... have skills and confidence. They have the will to overcome their handicaps. Please give them a chance," he appealed.

"In a way, I am also slightly impaired today ... I have nearly lost my voice," Mr. Chidambaram said. He was conscious that the government would have to do more to encourage the employment of differently-abled people. The Minister said he intended to interact with the fair organisers to find new ways and means to help the differently-abled.

Nearly 1,100 differently-abled and academically qualified in a wide range of fields, from medicine, computer science, commerce, corporate secretaryship, accounts and arts and humanities, sought jobs at the fair, organised by the Ability Foundation, Confederation of Indian Industry and the Lions Club of Padi-Shenoynagar. An overwhelming majority of the job-seekers were orthopaedically impaired.

70 firms participate

Apart from the record number of candidates from 13 states, including from those far off such as Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, the fair had the largest-ever participation of 70 companies. The firms represented diverse industry sectors, including information technology, IT-enabled services, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, banks, legal, logistics and construction.

Indian Bank chairman and managing director K.C. Chakrabarty said the mission of striving for financial inclusion, of the underprivileged, set by the bank as part of its centenary, included promoting the cause of the physically challenged. A disabled employee would become the general manager of the bank.

Ability Foundation trustee C.K. Ranganathan said the non-government organisation that worked to integrate and mainstream people with disabilities would strive to make the fair a pan-Indian programme. Chairman of CII-SR's sub-committee on corporate social responsibility T.T. Ashok said that despite legislation providing for reservation of jobs for the physically challenged, the number of such employees in public sector undertakings was half a per cent.

Founder and executive director of Ability Foundation Jayshree Raveendran and president of the Lions Club of Padi-Shenoynagar K.R. Natarajan spoke.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Uniform eligibility age for senior citizens mooted
Cheyyur, Nagapattinam possible sites for ultra mega power project
Rapid industrialisation threatening Cuddalore's ecology, warns NGO
Polio immunisation to focus on `Hindi belt'
Course in retail management
Prisoner's mother seeks judicial probe into jail clashes
MoU signed for job-oriented courses
Twilight treat
Children's Park at Guindy in for a facelift
Gang involved in house break-ins busted
Crimes against women on the rise, says National Commission for Women
Give the disabled a chance, says Chidambaram
Briefly

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu