By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MAY 8. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, today instructed officials to fill all backlog vacancies for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes in various Government departments within two months from now.

At a high-level meeting with Ministers and senior officials, he said the Cabinet would review every fortnight the progress of the recruitment process.

A total of 20,009 backlog vacancies for SCs and STs existed in almost equal proportion as on March 31,1999. As on today, 11,590 vacancies have been filled leaving a backlog of 8,417 posts, including 4,242 for SCs and 4,175 for the Tribes.

The meeting was informed that the Social Welfare department had issued instructions on April 18 this year to all Secretaries and Heads of Department to organise a special drive to fill all backlog vacancies. Besides, the Finance and General Administration departments had extended the exemption from the written test and interview for filling these posts, except in the case of recruitment of teachers where objective type tests were ordered.The Chief Minister asked the Home department to make efforts for vacation of the stay issued by the A.P. Administrative Tribunal on the orders of the Tribal Welfare department for filling 75 per cent of the posts in Scheduled areas by tribals.

Officials of the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board said there were 74 vacancies for STs under multi-purpose workers and sewerage cleaners but the work was being executed through contract workers due to non-availability of candidates.

The Minister for Social Welfare, Mrs. K. Pushpaleela, the Chief Secretary, Mr. P. V. Rao, and other officials attended.