BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has decided to issue a single, statewide notification to fill backlog vacancies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) across various government departments, keeping them separate from ongoing recruitment processes.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet subcommittee, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara, which met at Vikas Soudha on Thursday to review the filling of SC/ST backlog vacancies.
The subcommittee directed officials to immediately initiate the recruitment process for all pending backlog posts.
It instructed them to issue a single notification covering the entire state instead of merging the vacancies with ongoing recruitment or issuing separate notifications for individual districts. The distribution of vacancies among districts can be decided after the notification is issued, the ministers said.
The panel also expressed displeasure over the large number of backlog vacancies remaining unfilled in aided schools and colleges and pulled up officials for the delay.
It directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the vacancies are filled without further delay and warned that government grants would be stopped to educational institutions that neglect the recruitment process.
The subcommittee decided to launch a special drive to collect details of backlog vacancies from all departments and expedite recruitment, with the target of filling all pending posts within 18 months.
It was also discussed that recruitment to backlog posts should be based only on merit and age criteria. Since these are existing backlog vacancies, fresh approval from the Finance Department would not be required, and the recruitment process could be initiated directly.
Officials pulled up over delay
The ministers also took officials to task over allegations that government authorities were withholding approval for recruitment to backlog vacancies in aided educational institutions, despite the managements being willing to fill the posts. Questioning the officials over the delay, the ministers asked why they were obstructing the recruitment process and directed them to facilitate the filling of the vacancies. The subcommittee also expressed displeasure over the absence of the Director of the Department of Technical Education and directed that a notice be issued to the official.
Ministers KH Muniyappa, Satish Jarkiholi, T Raghumurthy, and KS Basavanthappa attended the meeting, along with Additional Chief Secretaries Gaurav Gupta and other officials. Dr E Venkataiah, adviser to the SCSP-TSP nodal agency, was also present.
