Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 20: The amendment bill passed by the state to escape from the clutches of Supreme Court verdict that had annulled promotions given by the state to SC/ST employees on the basis of reservation criteria has encountered roadblock as the President has refused to sign it. With this, the state government is under compulsion to implement the Supreme Court order by reverting employees who got undue promotions and promoting people from general category to these posts, before January 15, 2018.

The rejection of the bill has come as a huge disappointment for the state government, which had made efforts to postpone demotions of SC/ST employees at least for the time being to keep alive hopes of dalit communities till the assembly election.  Failure to comply with the verdict of the Supreme Court will expose the state to the risk of facing contempt of court proceedings.

It is said that the President feels that he need not either play a role or interfere in the issues concerning state government employees, and the same was conveyed to the state government. The law department immediately wrote to the state chief secretary to begin the process of demotions and promotions in tune with the Supreme Court order and file compliance report in Supreme Court before January 15.

As per information, 30 out of 34 departments in the state have already prepared seniority lists of employees. The department of personnel and administrative reforms has been instructed to publish this list relating to other departments too. The state  high court has already implemented the Supreme Court verdict for its employees.