Senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal. File
| Photo Credit: MOHD ARIF
Union Bank of India Differently-Abled Employees Federation (UBIDEF) has written to the Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari on Tuesday seeking action against the senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal for her comments against the disabled community.
Ms. Sabharwal, currently member-secretary of the Telangana Finance Commission, has recently expressed her views on the job quota for the disabled in civil services on social media, where she said the All India Services demanded physical fitness, hence the quota was not necessary. She stood her ground despite backlash from netizens, sparking outrage among the disabled community.
The UBIDEF demanded action against Ms. Sabharwal under Section 92 of the Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016, which pertains to atrocities against the differently-abled. The officer’s remarks stand in stark contradiction to the principles of equality as enshrined in the Indian Constitution, and perpetuate harmful stereotypes against the differently-abled community, the letter said.
Calling her statements ‘premeditated’, it said they undermined the contributions of the differently-abled, and went against her responsibility of safeguarding and implementing the Constitution.
“The officer’s words not only harm individuals but also cast a shadow over the entire Indian disabled community. Negative rhetoric perpetuates stigma and hinders progress toward an inclusive society,” the letter noted.
The Federation sought thorough investigation into the matter, and the officer’s dismissal from service if she persisted in dissemination of the “harmful ideology”.
