BENGALURU: The State Government, in an order issued on Friday, has said that it will go with post-based classification while recruiting civil servants and thereby put an end to the vacancy-based classification. This means that if there is any direct recruitment or promotion in any cadre, then the classification to fill the vacancy will be done as per post-based criteria.
The posts that fall vacant upon retirement, resignation and untimely death of a civil servant cannot be filled by direct recruitment, and instead, will be filled through promotion. And, if a post held by a direct recruit falls vacant, it must be filled through direct recruitment only.
The order further states that by December 31 every year, a preliminary seniority list of the civil servants should be prepared. After inviting objections for the same, a final list should be ready by March 31 in the upcoming year. This will improve the chances of the government employees getting promotion by 25 to 30 per cent, it noted.
“The government’s decision will do away with the imbalance in the classification of posts based on vacancies for direct recruitment and promotions. With the announcement of a seniority list every year, it will also prevent administrative hiccups”, remarked Karnataka State Government Employees’s Association president C S Shadakshari, while welcoming the order.
“Vacancy-based classification has been found causing injustice to promotees. Hence, there was a long-pending demand from the Association to consider it. The government has responded to it positively. The post-based classification leads to the rational classification of vacancies and provides justice to both direct recruits and promotees”, remarked Narasimharaju, an office-bearer.
As regards the Karnataka Administrative Service cadre, a separate Government Order was issued in 2016 to consider classification of posts of that cadre as per post-based criteria. Later, direct recruits of KAS cadre had questioned the decision of the government before the KSAT tribunal and the case is pending.
The government’s decision to consider the post-based classification criteria for all cadres may have its bearing on the decision, observed a KAS officer.