Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 7 (ANI): Members of the Himachal Pradesh Visually Impaired Association staged a massive chakka jam (road blockade) outside the state Secretariat in Shimla on Monday, intensifying their 535-day-long protest demanding the filling of backlog government job vacancies reserved for the visually impaired.

The protesters, who had previously camped near the Kalibari Temple in Shimla for over a year, shifted their agitation to the gates of the State's power centre, accusing the government of deliberate inaction and neglect.

Rajesh Thakur, State Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Visually Impaired Association, said this was the 10th time they had resorted to blocking roads.

'Whenever we try to meet officials, be it directors or secretaries, they treat us with indifference. When we talk about filing the backlog, the officials from the 2018 batch claim ignorance. This backlog is our right, guaranteed under the Constitution and the 2016 Act for Persons with Disabilities,' he stated.

Thakur revealed that over 1,100 positions across various departments remain unfilled despite being legally reserved for the visually impaired.

'Even if the government fills 500 posts, a backlog of 600 will still remain. This is not a favour, they are our rightful opportunities. We are only asking for our constitutional right. Over 1,100 posts are vacant, and yet the government continues to ignore us. Until they come to ground zero, our chakka jam will continue, said Rajesh Thakur.

According to Thakur, multiple meetings have been held over the past year and a half with the Chief Secretary, the Chief Minister, and the Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, but they have failed to yield any tangible results.

'We've tried dialogue. Now our only option is public protest. Until Minister Dhaniram Shandil either meets us or announces an action plan, our road blockade will continue. Let them come to ground zero,' he said.

The protesters have now declared that if their demands are not met by Tuesday, they will launch an indefinite hunger strike and intensify their agitation further.

'People from Delhi and Haryana are joining us. If there is no action, we will sit on a hunger strike from tomorrow. We'll block roads because we have no other choice left,' said Thakur.

Thakur said that the Shimla SP has assured the protesters that their concerns will be raised at higher levels. However, the group remains firm in its stance: they will only withdraw the blockade if their demands are seriously addressed.

'We are fighting for our future, for dignity, and for what is rightfully ours. The government must wake up and act before it's too late,' Thakur warned. (ANI)