State yet to take call on quota in job promotion
MUMBAI: The state government could not take a decision on reservation in promotion, in a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee, due to legal constraints – pending writ petition in the Bombay high court (HC) and negative opinion of the law department.
After a high-voltage drama over the scrapped quota in promotion in government jobs last week, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar held a high-level meeting of ministers on Tuesday to decide the course of action. The cabinet sub-committee decided to defer its decision till hearing on the writ petition is completed in the HC on June 21. Ministers said that an amicable solution will be arrived at soon.
Energy minister and senior Congress leader Nitin Raut said the state government was positive about reservation and a decision would be taken soon. “We have discussed all aspects related to the quota and have decided to wait till the HC verdict. The Congress is firm on its stand of reservation in promotion. The issue is complex, with legal and administrative difficulties, but we are taking legal advice to restore the reservation,” he said.
The HC in August 2017 quashed the 33% reservation in promotion given to employees from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, Vimukta Jati and
Nomadic Tribes and Special Backward Class in 2004. The Maharashtra government, which moved an appeal in the Supreme Court on May 7, announced implementation of the court’s decision and scrapped the reservation. Till then, the state government had been promoting its employees by keeping 33% quota reserved for classified categories. The Congress had expressed its displeasure and threatened to take extreme steps if the reservation was not restored immediately.
According to state officials, the law and judiciary department has given its opinion in favour of scrapping the quota. “The high court has scrapped the reservation in promotion and its implementation is mandatory. The SC, too, has not said anything on implementation of the quota, although the petition is still pending in the top court. The law and judiciary department has already given its opinion on two earlier occasions,” said the official.