LUCKNOW: Employee and officials of SC/ST category facing the threat of being demoted following the UP government’s order as per the Supreme Court ’s ruling, have found a strange way to protest -- refusing to vacate their rooms if asked by their department. A resolution to this affect was taken by Arakshan Bacaho Sangharsh Samiti, the association of SC/ST officials in the state.

The samiti estimates that nearly 2 lakh officers and employee would be reverted from their existing positions if the government order which, as of now, applies to the irrigation department, takes in its ambit other departments as well.

The irrigation department on March 30 issued an order scrapping quota in promotion as per the Supreme Court ruling passed in 2012. The order meant that all the SC/ST employees who were elevated after Mayawati government in 2007 introduced quota in promotions, would be demoted.

Samiti convener KB Ram said that since the GO did not affect the officers financially, there was no reason to vacate the rooms which the officers occupy as senior officials. The officials had been granted better and more convenient rooms during the Mayawati regime when the quota in promotion was implemented.

Ram said that the state government did not carry out the group-wise survey before implementing such a harsh decision that brought dalit officers down the seniority ladder in one stroke. He said that SC/ST employee had been asked to wear black ribbons for the next few days as part of the protest. At the same time, a group of officers left to Delhi to pursue the case in the apex court where the hearing is scheduled on April 6.

``We have asked the officers of the categories to gear up for a mass agitation as and when required,'' said Ram, who did not ruled out the possibility of bringing crucial official works to a grinding halt. This can be a cause of worry for the state government given the vast number of SC/ST officials enjoying a higher post because of consequential seniority.

The Supreme Court, in April 2012 had upheld the Allahabad high court's decision to scrap the policy of reservations in promotions introduced by the Mayawati government. The Allahabad high court on January 4, 2011, had dubbed it “unconstitutional” and struck it down following at least 50 petitions by employees associations from across the state. Following this, a special leave petition was filed in the Supreme Court against the order by the BSP government and some organizations.

Irrigation dept to revert promotions

The state government, through a government order dated March 30, has asked the department of irrigation to revert the promotions of officials between 1997 and 2012. The GO which is set to have a larger implication across various other departments, comes in response to a SC ruling that quashed the policy of reservation in promotion. The apex court is expected to hear the case on April 6.

Supreme Court in April 2012 had quashed the reservation based promotion for socially backward classes (SC/ST) in the state. It also set aside rule 8A introduced by the Mayawati government to provide consequential seniority to the SC/ST officers. Hence, there will be one seniority list and the promotion will be given according to the seniority list, the SC had observed.

