'Issued Mechanically': Karnataka High Court Directs Govt To Reconsider Circular Asking Disabled Employees To Report For Work

The Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the state government to reconsider its circular dated January 5, by which it has directed 50 percent of officers/officials who are blind and employees with other disabilities working in the state government/quasi government officers etc to attend the office on alternate days. We direct the state government to make proper compliance of order dated Nov 26, 2020.The court had by its previous order directed the state government to reconsider its decision of making it compulsory for government employees, in particular blind employees, to report to duty. The direction was given during the hearing of a petition filed by Karnataka Federation of the Blind challenging the circular dated May 18 2020, issued by the state government directing all Government Employees belonging to Group A, B, C and D to come for duty at 100% capacity. Senior Advocate Jayna Kothari appearing for the petitioner had submitted that actions of the respondent State government in issuing the impugned directions requiring 100% duty attendance by state government employees including employees with disabilities is in complete violation of the directions issued by the central government in Office Memorandum dated 28.04.2020 and 14.09.2020, exempting government employees with disabilities from roster duty during COVID-19 pandemic and hence deserves to be quashed and set aside.