Visually impaired people protest outside Shimla Secretariat over unfulfilled job promise, warn of blockade from August 1
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Members of an association for visually impaired staged a protest outside the Secretariat in Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla on Wednesday (July 24, 2024), temporarily disrupting traffic.
The protesters warned of a continuous blockade from August 1 to 15 if their demands, including the filling of vacant backlog positions and the reinstatement of the 174 eliminated posts, were not met.
For 274 days, the association has been protesting in Shimla, demanding the filling of reserved positions for the visually impaired in various government departments. Despite multiple rounds of talks with the government, the association claims that no conclusive action had been taken, prompting today’s roadblock.
During the protest, the police attempted to remove the demonstrators, leading to minor scuffles. Rajesh Thakur, a member of the association, expressed frustration over the long-standing vacancies reserved for them, stating that the government had failed to conduct the necessary recruitments.
He also noted that in a previous meeting, the government had acknowledged the 174 vacant positions, but these had since “disappeared” after the election code of conduct was lifted.
Rajesh Thakur warned that if the government did not address their concerns and fill the vacant positions, the association would initiate a continuous blockade from August 1 to 15.
