A State-level meeting of SC-ST and backward classes organisations to discuss the issues related to Devaswom Boards in Kerala here on Thursday has demanded that a special recruitment board be constituted to make appointments to the five Devaswom Boards in the State.
The meeting held here which was presided over by Kerala Dalit Federation president, P.Ramabhadran also decided to demand Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy convene a meeting of SC-ST and backward classes organisations with regard to appointments to Devaswoms. It demanded that all appointments including priests should be effected through the Board, the number of members of each Board be increased to nine, due representation be given to all castes in the Board and a caste-based list of Devaswom employees in the State be published.
There was also a demand to extend the 17 per cent reservation for non-Hindus in other services to SC-ST and members of Dheevara-Viswakarma castes and backward classes in Group 8.
The meeting also asked for a rotation system for the positions of president and members of five Devaswom Boards. An 18-member convening committee including V. Dinakaran as general convener and S. Kuttappan Chettiyar as convener has been formed to frame future plans. Among the host of organisations that attended the meeting included Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha, Kerala Dalit Federation, Ambedkar Study Circle and Kerala Telugu-Chetti Samudaya Sangham. A total of 12 organisations including Kerala Viswakarma Mahasabha, Kerala Nadar Mahajana Sangham and Panar Mahasabha has extended its full support to the meeting.
