Jaipur: The office of the commissioner for specially-abled persons has urged the panchayati raj and local self-govt departments to take steps to implement a 4% horizontal reservation for persons with disabilities in the upcoming Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections in Rajasthan.The move follows a representation by Hemant Bhai Goyal, national chairman of the Disabled Rights Federation, who wrote to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma seeking policy intervention on the issue.The demand has received political backing with former Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore and former BJP state president Satish Poonia reportedly reaching out to the CM in support of the proposal.In his letter, Goyal cited constitutional provisions, including Articles 14, 15, and 41, emphasising the need to ensure equality, non-discrimination, and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in governance and decision-making processes.He also referred to objectives of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which mandate equal opportunities, protection of rights, and full participation of persons with disabilities. Highlighting that a 4% reservation is already in place for govt jobs, Goyal argued that extending similar provisions to electoral representation is a logical step.The proposal suggests the reservation should be implemented as a horizontal quota within the existing 50% reservation cap, similar to the model used for women in local bodies, thereby maintaining the current reservation framework without disruption.
