THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Commission for Minorities has ordered the state government to ensure reservation benefits in streams II and III of the newly-formed Kerala Administrative Service (KAS). The order came on a petition filed by State Employees’ Union president A M Aboobacker, saying minorities and backward communities were denied reservation benefits in KAS. The commission rejected the government’s argument that since recruitment to streams II and III was from among existing employees there was no need to offer it a second time.
The government’s rationale was that eligible communities had already enjoyed the benefit of
reservation during the initial recruitment to government service. On the other hand, reservation benefits were ensured in KAS stream I since those posts were filled through direct recruitment, the government said. However, the commission rejected the government’s ‘double reservation’ argument saying appointments to stream II and III were nonetheless fresh ones and reservation benefits need to be extended to those posts also. Backward, minority community representation can prove to be low in streams II and III in the event of employees belonging to those communities failing to apply or failing to get through despite applying, the commission said.
Commission chairman P K Haneefa ordered the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department to take steps to ensure reservation benefits to minorities and backward communities. Earlier, following Aboobacker’s complaint, the commission had demanded reports from the state government and the PSC. The secretary, Personnel and Administrative Reforms, had submitted an affidavit clarifying the government’s stand.