Deeply perturbed over the reference to 'able bodied person' in the proposed National Employment Guarantee Act as outlined in this year's Budget Speech, Chairperson of the Commission, Dr. Justice A.S.Anand has written to the Union Minister for Finance as well as Union Minister for Labour urging them to delete the reference to 'able bodied person' while drafting the proposed Act and to make appropriate provisions for employment of persons with disability.
The Commission has also pointed that the inclusion of the reference 'able bodied person' in the Union Budget Speech of 8th July 2004 has caused serious disquiet among many NGOs working in the area of disability and to the National Human Rights Commission itself.
While expressing its happiness the Commission noted the several new initiatives announced in the Union Budget for 2004-2005 to protect persons belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities and other vulnerable sections.
The Commission agreed that unemployment takes a heavy toll on the poor people but said it does not see merit in restricting 100 days of employment in a year to 'one able bodied person' in every poor household. This reference to 'able bodied' persons in Para 16 of Part A of the Budget Speech, it felt unwittingly discriminates against persons with disability and the Commission has taken exception to it.