Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 23: Karnataka governor, Vajubhai Vala, has returned the ordinance on reservations to SC/ST government employees in promotions. The state government, through this ambitious ordinance, had sought to nullify a Supreme Court verdict delivered six months ago which had held that giving promotions to SC/ST candidates on the basis of reservation criteria was wrong. The verdict was expected to affect over 22,000 SC/ST employees who would have faced reversions and these vacancies would have gone to general category candidates.

The ordinance was discussed at the cabinet meeting last week before forwarding the same to the governor.

The governor is learnt to have questioned the inevitable circumstances leading to the necessity to bring this legislation through an ordinance. "As this is a serious issue, rather than holding discussions in cabinet meeting, the matter needs to be discussed in the legislature session," the governor said in his letter to the government, it is gathered.

Upholding the petition moved by Pavitra, the Supreme Court, through its judgement dated February 9 this year, had concurred that providing for reservation-based promotions results in injustice for general candidates. It had given six months time to implement the order in Toto. The government which is unwilling to toe the line of the verdict, had tried to escape from the clutches of law by passing an ordinance.