By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JUNE 8. The State Cabinet today decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking an extension of six months for implementation of its judgment on the reservation in promotion order.

The Minister of State for Information, Prof. B.K. Chandrasekhar, who briefed presspersons about the Cabinet meeting, said that a decision was also taken to publish a provisional reservation in promotion list in respect of engineers in the Irrigation and Public Works departments.

It is learnt that the SC/ST Employees' Association has also filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the reservation in promotion order.

Prof. Chandrasekhar said that the adjourned budget session of the State Legislature would resume from July 16 and the Houses would meet till the end of the first week of August. Important bills, including those related to Finance, Agriculture and Cooperation, would be introduced in the session.

The Bill to amend the Karnataka Universities Act, now being considered by a Joint Select Committee, would also be introduced in the session. The Bill, introduced in the budget session, had come in for quite a lot of criticism, following which it was referred to the committee.

Prof. Chandrasekhar said the Cabinet had decided to take steps to streamline the administration of backward class and minorities hostels. As a first step, it had decided to recruit supervisory staff directly on the basis of merit. The lack of adequately qualified staff to administer these hostels had resulted in their neglect, and the students staying in them were put to a lot of inconvenience.

The process of recruitment had already started and applications had been called for from qualified candidates. In fact, the decision had already been taken and the Cabinet today ratified the decision.

Prof. Chandrasekhar said that the Cabinet had decided to allocate 22 acres of land in Varthur to the Reddy Jana Sangh for the establishment of a super-speciality hospital. The land, in Survey Nos. 26 and 27, would be allotted at the rate of Rs. 1.60 lakhs an acre.

The Cabinet also sanctioned Rs. 6.06 crores for the provision of drinking water facilities in 38 villages in Koppal taluk. The schemes would be executed by the Karnataka Land Army Corporation.

He said the Social Welfare Department had drawn up a massive programme to construct 300 hostels in the State. The HUDCO had already sanctioned Rs. 27 crores for the construction of 100 hostels in the first phase.

The Cabinet also approved the plan to set up 34 rehabilitation centres for those displaced by the third stage of the Upper Krishna Project at an estimated cost of Rs. 12 crores. The work would be executed by the National Projects Construction Corporation Ltd. and would be completed in 11 months

Promotions in PW and irrigation depts
State plans to seek 6-month time from SC to notify list

DH News Service
BANGALORE, June 8

The State Cabinet today decided to file a petition before the Supreme Court seeking six months’ time to notify the final gradation list indicating the promotions and reversions as per the Supreme Court verdict regarding the accelerated promotions in the public works and irrigation departments.

Briefing presspersons about the decisions taken by the State Cabinet today, Minister of State for Information B K Chandrashekar said the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Engineers’ Association had already filed a petition before the apex court over the reservation issue.

The government announced the draft gradation list, in accordance with the reservation norm set by the Supreme Court, on May 30, one day prior to the deadline set by the court to comply with its order. The government has also fixed June 30 as the deadline to file objections, if any, against the draft list. The SC/ST Engineers’ Association has pleaded with the apex court to direct the government to implement the reservation norm prospectively.

Official sources said the government would require at least two weeks to make the required corrections after June 30. If more petitions are filed before the Supreme Court, then the government would require at least two to three months to complete the process. So, it has decided to seek six months to notify the gradation list. The Cabinet sub-committee under the chairmanship of Forest Minister K H Ranganath is studying the ways and means of implementing the reservation rule set by the court.

Hostel for SC/STs

Regarding other decisions taken by the Cabinet, Prof Chandrashekar said the Cabinet decided to allow the Social Welfare Department to construct 300 buildings to run hostels for SC/ST students. The department would raise a loan of Rs 27.60 crore from Hudco for this purpose in the first phase. As many as 100 hostel buildings would be constructed in the current financial year, he added.

The minister said it was also decided to make direct recruitment to 423 posts of supervisors of Social Welfare Department-run hostels. The recruitment would be based on the marks secured by the candidates in the degree examinations, and BEd graduates would also be considered.

“If we go by the normal recruitment procedure, then we would have to interview 4,230 candidates for the 423 posts. It would take not less than one-and-half years to complete the process. In order to avoid the delay, direct recruitment has been planned. Even for OBC candidates, BEd qualification would be applicable,” he pointed out.

Prof Chandrashekar said it was decided to allot the project of providing drinking water to 34 rehabilitation centres under the Upper Krishna Project III Stage to National Project Construction Limited at a cost of Rs 12 crore. Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Limited would be providing the required funds, he said, adding that the company was expected to complete the works within a month.

The meeting also decided to entrust the work of supplying water to 32 villages in Koppal district to the Land Army Corporation. A sum of Rs 6.60 crore would be required for it, he added.

The Cabinet gave its consent for the sanction of 22 acres of land in Varthur to the Reddy Jana Sangha for constructing a super speciality hospital. The cost per acre of land was Rs 1.60 lakh, he added.