Digital Goa, April 1 – Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) has filed a Public Interest Litigation(PIL) in the High Court, challenging the state government’s alleged failure to implement the mandatory 4% reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities in recent recruitment drives. The Court has directed the concerned Departments and the Goa Staff Selection Commission to file their replies in the matter. As per DRAG president Avelino Desa, of the 2500 vacancies announced by the govt in the recent past through SSC and GHRDC, 100 should have been reserved for PWDs.
Zero Reservation in Mega Recruitment
The immediate trigger for the petition is Advertisement No. 2 of 2026, issued by the Goa Staff Selection Commission (GSSC) on February 13, 2026. The advertisement invites applications for 722 ‘Group C’ posts across various government departments—including roles such as Range Forest Officers, Police Constables, and Forest Guards—but fails to reserve a single post for persons with disabilities (PwD) .
The petitioners contend this is a “blatant violation” of Section 34 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, which mandates a minimum 4% quota in all government establishments.
Systemic Failure and “Access to Justice”
The PIL further highlights a “systemic failure” in the state’s grievance redressal mechanism. DRAG President Shri Avelino de Sa stated that previous complaints regarding similar violations by the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation (GHRDC) have remained pending before the State Commissioner for Persons with Disability for over 18 months without a single hearing.
The association argues that this delay effectively denies PwD their right to “Access to Justice” as guaranteed under Section 12 of the Act.
Allegations of “Double Discrimination”
The petition raises a unique legal point regarding “double layer discrimination”. It alleges that the GSSC advertisement provides preferential recruitment to GHRDC employees, even though the GHRDC itself reportedly failed to adhere to reservation norms in its own previous recruitments (Advertisement Nos. 31/2021 and 50/2024).
Relief Sought from the Court
The petitioners, represented by Advocate Abhijit Gosavi and team through the Goa State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA), are seeking several urgent interventions from the High Court:
- An immediate stay on the recruitment proceedings under GSSC Advertisement No. 2 of 2026.
- The quashing of the impugned advertisement and a direction to reissue it with the mandatory 4% reservation.
- A mandate for the state to identify and fill all backlog vacancies for persons with disabilities.
