SC, ST employees allege injustice in promotions : Mahbubnagar

Mahbubnagar: The employees belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes working in Treasury and Accounts departments in Mahbubnagar and elsewhere in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts have accused the higher authorities concerned in the department of deliberately ignoring the implementation of Rule of Reservation (ROR) for SC, ST employees and doing injustice to them.

It is alleged that the Director of Treasury and Accounts, Hyderabad is deliberately ignoring the ROR for SC, ST employees and bypassing various GOs and even Supreme Court order and not including the names of SC and ST employees in the list of promotions and giving preference to only those belonging to upper caste communities and those who have given kickbacks.

"We have been fighting for our rightful share of promotions promised in various government orders and even the Supreme Court. However, some senior officials in Treasury and Accounts department are deliberately ignoring the GOs. When asked why they were not considering RoR as per the GOs and apex court order, the higher authorities are adopting delaying tactics by giving lame excuses," said a lower cadre treasury and accounts employee belonging to SC, ST community. It is been more than 3 to 4 years that the SC, ST employees in the department are waiting for promotions. However, in spite of numerous reminders and representations to the higher-ups in the treasury and even to the government, there has been no response.

"We fought for Telangana for the injustice caused to the employees, particularly the SC and ST under the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. However, after formation of Telangana, the SC, ST employees, who expected better days, have been ignored and meted out with injustice and denied their rightful share in promotions and jobs," observed Chandru Nayak, former president of Girijana Employees Association, Mahbubnagar.

In spite of earlier GOs and Supreme Court order, the Treasury and Accounts department has chosen to ignore them. The officials are neither bothered to go through the GOs nor look into the earlier Supreme Court orders, and taking unilateral decisions in promotions and deliberately ignoring justice to SC, ST employees, Nayak alleged.

According to Amruth Rao, SC, ST Union leader from Jadcherla, cited GO No 5 of the Social Welfare Department issued on February 14, 2013 clearly mentioned implementation of RoR in promotion to ensure adequate representation of SC, ST employees. i.e. 15 per cent and 6 per cent respectively in all the categories of posts in all departments.

In another GO issued with GO No 21 social welfare (RoR.1) dated March 18, 2003 it has mentioned that all government departments have to implement rule of reservation in promotions in favour of SC, STs in all categories of posts in all departments as per para 4 (g) of the GO read above.

Even the Supreme Court in PS Mohal and others v/s Union of India and others (1984 (2) SLR page 408) clearly directed the State and central governments to implement the RoR for SC, ST employees in all departments.

The SC and ST employees who visited KSR Murthy, Director of Treasury and Accounts, seeking the help of Director of Treasury, were told to wait until he gets a nod from the General Administration and Finance department.

However, the SC and ST employees are arguing that when the Director of the department himself has the power to take a decision by taking into consideration the various GOs and Supreme Court order, he has been deliberately delaying taking a decision on RoR and causing loss to SC, ST employees. There have been allegations by employees of wide scale corruption in the Treasury department.

"In spite of many representations to the concerned departments to implement the RoR, the officials are deliberately ignoring the GOs and court orders. We will not tolerate this injustice and will complaint to the National SC and ST Commission against the officials and even file cases against them for causing injustice. We are also urging the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to take cognisance of the issue and take necessary action in this regard before things go out of bounds," said Chandru Nayak.