SC/ST stir against dilution of norms

NEW DELHI, December 17: The All India Confederation of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) organisations has decided to launch a ...

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NEW DELHI, December 17: The All India Confederation of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) organisations has decided to launch a country-wide agitation in protest against the dilution and withdrawal of facilities guaranteed by the Constitution to SCs and STs with reference to jobs and promotions in government and public sector undertakings.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday Ram Raj, Chairman of the Confederation, said that the Department of Personnel and Training has been, under one pretext or another, depriving scheduled castes of various facilities.

The Department, he said, had been misinterpreting court rulings. It had been quick to implement court rulings unfavourable to SCs and STs while ignoring those favouring them. In 1997, the Department issued a number of memoranda which went against the interests of SCs and STs, Ram Raj said.

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In January, it withdrew the seniority of SCs and STs. In July, it replaced vacancy-based reservation with post-based reservation which go against the interests of SCs and STs. It also took away grace marks in reservation in departmental examinations.

In August, the Department took away the provision for promotion in all classes and put an abrupt end to the much-publicised special drive for recruitment, Ram Raj said. Nor has the Department taken any steps to implement the 77th Constitutional Amendment, restoring reservation in promotions to SCs and STs, which nullified the November 1992 Supreme Court order, he added.

Confederation Secretary General Brahmpal said that these actions and inactions of the Department had adversely affected the interests of the SCs and STs and they were greatly agitated about the discriminatory and unconstitutional attitude of the Department.