Odisha: Para-players demand govt jobs and equality with normal players

BHUBANESWAR: After the stupendous performance by para-athletes at Tokyo Para-Olympics and Odisha’s shuttler Pramod Bhagat winning a gold medal, para-athletes of Odisha sharpened their voice for equality with the normal players.
Odisha Para-players Forum- an association of para-athletes demanded inclusion of specially-abled sportspersons in the Direct Recruitment Scheme and provide government jobs to them like any other normal sportsperson.
“Equality is only a word of assurance for us. We have been demanding government jobs for the last several years, but our demand has gone deaf ears. Now after the brilliant performance by our para-athletes and by Pramod Bhagat who brought laurels for the state and the country, we request the state government to take us seriously,” said Rakhal Sethy, secretary of Odisha Para Players Forum.
Sethy, 37, a national level fencer who represented India in Asian Games, played 5 world cups, 2 world championships and won 36 national medals, is also a job aspirant.
Besides, among his students whom he has been training 14 have won medals at the national level without any government support.
Sources said, currently 33 para players are eligible to get a job of whom six have got jobs in their own efforts. Of the rest 27, seven have played Asian Games and the rest have won national medals. The para-players also alleged that there is no training and hostel and training facilities for para-athletes in the state.
Sunil Pradhan, another para-sportsperson and a shuttler said, “In terms of financial assistance also the para-athletes get less than the normal players. The normal players who played Asian Games got Rs 7.5 lakh while para-sportsperson gets only Rs 50,000. Why this disparity? In other states like Haryana and Gujarat, they provide equal opportunities and financial and infrastructural support to para-players and the normal players. When the Odisha government is claiming to be the sports capital of India, can it be possible without taking along the para-players?”
However, sports department sources said the para-sportspersons have been availing the job opportunities under the 1% reservation for the sportspersons, whenever such recruitment process is undertaken for various departments and organisations.
Para-sportspersons are not eligible for jobs in Odisha Police Services and Posts in state PSUs.
The chief secretary has convened a meeting in this regard on August 27 and directed the concerned departments to examine the issue and prepare comprehensive guidelines.
In view of the physical norms criteria under Odisha Police, the chief secretary had directed for examining whether the para-sportspersons can be considered for Group-C posts under various departments, instead of the Police constable- level recruitment.
“A comprehensive draft resolution to be prepared by the GA department including all the existing resolutions and suitable modifications to include the Group-C posts for recruitment of the sportspersons and para sportsperson in government and Public Sector Undertakings (PSU),” Sailendra Kumar Jena, joint secretary, sports, and youth services department.
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