The Hindu Business Line : `Physically challenged should be part of mainstream industry'

THE UNION Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, talking to job aspirants at the 3rd edition of EmployABILITY 2006 job fair, exclusively for physically challenged persons, jointly organised by the Ability Foundation, CII and the Lions Club Padi-Shenoy Nagar, in Chennai on Sunday. — Bijoy Ghosh

Chennai , Dec. 17

"Will you give me a chance?" one heard a young man ask a company executive as one walked through a job fair for the physically challenged. That is what the Union Minister for Finance, Mr P. Chidambaram, too urged companies to do.

"We need to find new ways and means to help the physically challenged be a part of mainstream industry. Please give them a chance to prove themselves," said the Minister, at the inauguration of the third edition of `EmployABILITY 2006', a job fair for the physically challenged, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Lions Club of Padi-Shenoy Nagar, Chennai and the Ability Foundation.

As the Minister indicated he had temporarily lost his voice, a member of the organising committee read his speech.

Job fairs

Mr K.C. Chakrabarty, Chairman and Managing Director, Indian Bank, said such job fairs must not remain mere events but become movements. For companies looking at `inclusive growth', it is essential to include not only socially and economically challenged communities but also the physically challenged into mainstream growth, he said.

Mr T.T. Ashok, Chairman, CSR Sub-Committee, CII Southern Region¸ said India had over two crore physically challenged people and that they must be included in the present growth phase of the industry.

The job fair saw over 1,100 candidates from 13 States interact with about 70 companies, most of them from non-information technology sector, who had set up stalls at the job fair. These include Ashok Leyland, Brakes India, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Ford India, Hewlett Packard, ITC Park Sheraton, Reliance Retail and IndusInd Bank.

Most candidates were commerce and engineering graduates besides diploma holders. Over 300 candidates were Masters and Ph.D degree holders across areas such as engineering, medicine, law, chartered accountancy and management.

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