Implement SC ruling on quota in promotions: Ahimsa

FOR A CAUSE: Government employees belonging to minority, backward and general categories during an agitation in Kalaburagi on Tuesday.

Thousands of government employees working in different departments staged a protest here on Tuesday demanding that the State government implement the Supreme Court order on reservation in promotions. Before the protest march was launched at Veerashaiva Kalyana Mantap, M. Nagaraj, State president of Ahimsa, a forum of government and quasi-government employees belonging to minority, backward classes and general categories, addressed the employees explaining the court order.

“We are not against reservations in promotions. We are simply demanding that State government not cut the share of minorities, backward classes and general categories to give it to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes employees,” he said.

He demanded that the State government roll back its decision to reserve more number of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes employees than they were eligible in view of Supreme Court judgment.

The agitating employees then marched through Jagat Circle, Sardhar Vallabhbhai Chowk to reach the office of the Deputy Commissioner where they staged an hour-long agitation.

Speaking to The Hindu during the agitation, Ravindra Shabadi, treasurer of the forum, said that that more number of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes employees than actually eligible had been promoted to senior positions due to wrong reservation policy adopted by the State government in promotions.

“The State government was supposed to reserve 15 % of the posts for Scheduled Castes and 3 % of the posts for Scheduled Tribes in promotions. In many cases, more than 80 % of the posts were given to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in promotion. Now, the Supreme Court has, in its judgment on February 9, 2017, reversed it,” he said.

A memorandum was submitted to the State government through the office of the Deputy Commissioner. Around 400 employees had arrived from Bidar to participate in the agitation. Suryakanth Kadam, Raju Leganti, Jambanagowda Sheelavanthar, Shivaraj Andagi and other leaders of the employees were present.