The State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to set up a Cabinet subcommittee to study the recent Supreme Court order that struck down reservation in promotions for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe employees. This followed a detailed discussion on a report by Additional Chief Secretary Rathna Prabha on the issue.
The State has had reservation in promotions for SC/ST employees since 1978 — 15% for SCs and 3% for STs — which has been struck down by the apex court. It has already filed a review petition challenging the order. The issue has political implications in poll-bound Karnataka, with Dalit groups demanding that the government find ways to circumvent the order.
The Cabinet panel, comprising of Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra, PWD Minister H.C. Mahadevappa and Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya, is expected to meet in a few days and submit a report to the Cabinet.
The government will also study the reports given by Justices T.S. Thakur and V. Gopala Gowda on promotions for SC, ST employees and consult Advocate-General Madhusudhan Naik, Mr. Jayachandra told presspersons after the Cabinet meeting.
The court maintained that “mere fact that there is no proportionate representation in promotional posts for the population of SCs and STs is not by itself enough to grant consequential seniority to promotees who are otherwise junior, and thereby denying seniority to those who are given promotion later on account of reservation policy.”
Mr. Jayachandra said the government has not de-notified any dried tanks or lakes in the State and there was no proposal to do so. He said reports on the government’s proposal to denotify 1,500 dried tanks/lakes in the State were baseless.