BENGALURU: The state government is set to file a review petition against a recent Supreme Court order striking down promotions awarded to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe employees since 1978.
The state cabinet, which met here on Friday, decided to file a review petition to protect interests of SC, ST employees and officers in state government service as the SC order if implemented would result in thousands working in more than 60 government departments getting demoted.
Karnataka provides 15 per cent reservation for SCs and 3 per cent reservation for STs in promotions. The SC order could have political implications for Siddaramaiah government which has to face the electorate next year.
The apex court had in its order said the state must show backwardness, inadequacy of representation and maintenance of efficiency before providing reservations in promotions.
It maintained, “The mere fact that there is no proportionate representation in promotional posts for SCs and STs is not by itself enough to grant consequential seniority to promote who are otherwise junior and thereby denying seniority to those who are given promotion later on account of reservation policy.”
The state cabinet on Friday decided to authorise the State Backward Classes Commission to compile data to put up a strong argument before the SC to convince it about the inadequacy of representation for SC, STs in government service and their extent of backwardness, sources said.
The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms has been told to make preparations to implement the SC order, if the review plea is rejected or there is a delay in hearing of the review petition as the state has to implement the SC order in 3 months.