The move to bifurcate the Public Works Department (PWD) workforce in Karnataka, on the face of it, seems to be for administrative ease. However, it appears to be taking caste connotation, as nearly 1,400 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) engineers, who were appointed to fill backlog posts, are staring at a curtailed career.
The engineers, with over 15 years of experience, have been asked to choose the departments they would want to stay with after bifurcation. They have been given the option of remaining in PWD or going to Water Resources or Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Departments.
As many as 746 assistant engineers and 501 junior engineers appointed to fill backlog posts in 2003-2004 and 142 assistant engineers who received work orders in 2015, having seniority with retrospective effect, have been awaiting promotions.
“The hitch is that if they chose to go to other departments, they will lose seniority. The bifurcation exercise has been done to prevent SCs/STs from moving up to higher posts. We are urging the government to first publish the seniority list as per the directions of the Supreme Court in the case pertaining to consequential seniority and then effect promotions as per the list. The department can be bifurcated later,” said D. Chandrashekaraiah, president of State Government SC/ST Employees Coordination Committee.
A delegation has met Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi to highlight the issue. “By promoting all deserving candidates, seniority will be maintained without which these engineers will end their career in posts they joined in.”
Mr. Chandrashekaraiah said that bifurcation move was more of political than administrative as SC/STs would be the biggest beneficiary block in promotion if effected without bifrucating the department. "The bifurcation will also help protect general category engineers who will face demotion after the fresh seniority list is notified as per the Supreme Court order."
Public Works Department sources acknowledged that there were issues pertaining to promotion, but argued that the bifurcation will affect engineers from all communities. The bifurcation process is still on and the government is yet to receive a final report, PWD sources said.
In fact, sources said, as against the earlier departmental promotion committee (DPC), there are now three DPCs, leading to confusion. “Legally and ideally, the promotions have to be given after drawing up the seniority list. Bifurcation can be taken up later and option should be given only after effecting promotion. This appears more of a political decision than an administrative one,” said the source.
‘Submit report in two weeks’
The Legislature Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has directed the Commissioner of Social Welfare to submit a report within two weeks on the status of implementation of the Supreme Court order with respect to consequential seniority. This has come in the light of complaints that several departments have not adhered to the orders, by not notifying the seniority list confirming to the court order.