Man losing vision in one eye moves HC to save his job

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attempt to change the social perception of people towards those with disabilities by calling them persons with special abilities (divyang) and his efforts to help them by distributing aids and assistive devices has apparently failed to impress the state government. Gujarat high court was moved by an employee of Dakshin Gujarat Vij Co Ltd (DGVCL) after the company planned to sack him because of a disability by declaring him unfit for work.

Vinodbhai Patel has filed a petition seeking the high court’s intervention after DGVCL issued him a show-cause notice for his failing vision in one eye. The high court has kept hearing on his plea on Monday, said Patel’s advocate Rahul Sharma.

Patel got a job with state’s electricity company in 2011 on fixed pay in Surat district. He worked as electrical assistant at a fixed pay for three years. His services were regularized in 2014 and he successfully completed his six-month probation period. His job was confirmed in April 2015.

Just one year had passed with Patel in his job as a regular employee when the electricity firm issued him a show-cause notice asking him why his services should not be terminated as he was losing vision in one eye. The notice termed him unfit for work.

In his petition filed before the high court, Patel has demanded that the show-cause notice should be quashed. He has contended that the company’s conclusion that he is unfit for work is baseless because he has been working for the last five years without any problem. He has got problems with vision in only one eye and he cannot be treated as if he were a blind person. He has pleaded that his case can’t be dealt with in such a callous manner.