Action within four months

DH News Service
BANGALORE, April 5

The State Government has issued a circular directing various departments to take steps to fill the backlog vacancies earmarked for SCs/STs within next four months, Home Minister M Mallikarjuna Kharge said here today.

Participating in the 94th birth anniversary celebrations of former deputy prime minister Babu Jagjivanram organised by Social Welfare Department here, he said the chief minister has already directed various departments to fill the backlog vacancies and the social welfare department would act as the nodal agency. The government, he said was taking steps for the welfare of SCs/STs. Mr Kharge regretted that untouchability and poverty was still prevalent in the society. He called for earnest efforts to eliminate the same for the uplift of SCs/STs.

Earlier, Chief Minister S M Krishna, who unveiled the portrait of Babu Jagjivanram, said that Dr B R Ambedkar and Babu Jagjiv-anram were two prominent leaders who worked for the welfare of the exploited sections and uplift of the downtrodden. Mr Krishna said that he had an opportunity to hear the speeches of Babu Jagajee vanram in Parliament. His speeches were eloquent testimonies to his vision. Mr Krishna said that Jagjivanram, was an able parliamentarian, who was in the forefront of the green revolution for the welfare of the peasants. He also worked for Hindu-Muslim unity.

BAN SALE OF LIQUOR: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K H Srinivas while lauding the contributions of Jagjivanram for the uplift of the downtrodden said that he was a leader who commanded tremendous respect.

Mr Srinivas said that money, caste and liquor was playing a dominant role in politics these days. He said that a movement should be launched to fight for the rights of the oppressed sections. Mr Srinivas welcomed the decision of the State Government to ban sale of liquor in tribal pockets of Mysore and Chamarajnagar districts and added the Government should extend the ban to other areas as well or at least make efforts to curb the sale of liquor.

Social Welfare Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, who presided said the social welfare department has chalked out awareness programmes to eliminate untouchability and educating SC/STs about their rights. The awareness programme would be held till April 14.

STATUE: Mr Thimmappa said that issue pertaining to installing the statue of Babu Jagjivanram in the City was pending before the court.Mr Thimmappa said that discussions would be held with the state advocate-general and the issue would be taken up with the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice.

Govt staff threaten indefinite stir

DH News Service
BANGALORE, April 5

Over six lakh State government and quasi-government employees belonging to minorities, backward classes and the general category have threatened to go on an indefinite strike throughout the State from June if the government does not implement the Supreme Court’s directive on reservation in promotions. A decision to this effect was taken at a convention of ‘Ahimsa’ - Alpasankhyatara, Hindulida Haagu Samanyavargadavara Hitharakshana Okkuta - (Federation of Minorities, Backward Classes and General Category Government Employees) held in Bangalore on Wednesday.

Hundreds of members of the Federation took out a massive rally in Bangalore on Wednesday to register their protest against the delay in implementing the Supreme Court’s directive to fill up vacant posts only with the candidates of the same category. The government and quasi-government employees belonging to minorities, backward classes and general category, who form a whopping 82 per cent of the total government work force, are deprived of their rights due to the present reservation system, the protesters said.

Following a petition from Mr R K Sabarwala, an engineer with the Irrigation Department of the Punjab Government in 1995, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court had ruled that each category should be given their due share while filling a vacant post through promotion. Again in 1999, a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court upheld the ruling given by the five-judge bench in the case of Sabarwala and ordered that the directive must be deemed as law.

The State government decided to implement the directive on February 3, 1999, when the Engineers’ Association of the State government organised agitations throughout the State demanding implementation of the directive. But, the State government took a U-turn when pressure mounted from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and brought some amendments to the law resulting in nullification of benefit to other categories.

But, a persistent Engineers’ Association appealed to the Supreme Court which gave the historic judgment in their favour and also directed the respective governments to implement the same in phases over the next six months. Despite the time frame given by the Supreme Court, the State has not done anything in this regard though four months have already passed, the protesters contended. Noting that ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’, the protesters urged the government to implement the SC directive in all the 84 departments of the State government at the earliest.

The convention also decided to observe a day’s dharna on May 16 as a token of protest over the delay. If the government does not prepare the seniority list within the remaining two months, the employees will be left with no other alternative but to launch an indefinite strike, said Ahimsa Convenor and President of the Karnataka Engineers’ Association, Mr Nagaraj.

Earlier in the day, the protesters took out a mammoth rally from K R Circle which passed through Maharani College, Basaveshwara Circle, Shivananda Stores before culminating at Malleshwaram Grounds.