Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jul 14: The state government clarified that it is committed to protecting interests of officers and other employees of the state government belonging to scheduled castes and tribes in the case pertaining to extending the benefit of reservation-based promotions to them. At the same time, the government clarified that a case relating to this issue is being heard by the Supreme Court on July 27 and that it is waiting for the developments which might take place on that day.

The state assembly discussed this issue in all seriousness on Friday July 13. Kudachi MLA, P Rajiv, adamantly stuck to his decision to move call attention motion on the issue, saying that even after the law meant to protect the interests of SC/ST employees and officers had been passed, the government had failed to act on it. Several MLAs belonging to scheduled communities supported his stand.

Clarifying the government's position on the issue, law and parliamentary affairs minister, Krishna Byre Gowda, brought to the attention of the MLAs that the bill to protect interests of these communities had been moved with the concern to save their interests. He said that the bill had got the Presidential assent and it has been published in the state gazette and therefore, it has become law. "There is no question of backtracking from our stand or reviewing it. But a case filed on this issue will be coming before the Supreme Court on July 27. The state advocate general has advised us against implementing this law till the Supreme Court gives its verdict. Therefore, we are waiting," he said.

Govind Karjol of BJP objected, by mentioning that departmental promotion committee meetings are being held in a hurry in major departments in the state. MLA, Goolihatti Shekhar, pointed out that many of these committees are without representatives from scheduled castes and tribes.

Intervening in the discussions, social welfare minister, Priyank Kharge, stated that once the state law is enforced, all decisions taken at these committee meetings will get superseded. Therefore,  he asked the concerned not to worry. He clarified that a meeting chaired by the deputy chief minister had been held to appoint SC/ST members to these committees. Assembly speaker, K R Ramesh Kumar, asked the government to see that the state law is implemented after July 27 and it would not be right to postpone it in the guise of Supreme Court hearing.