Maintaining that hundreds of SC and ST Government servants are being deprived of promotions in the State, the Orissa Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes legislators’ Coordination Council on Monday sought intervention of the Governor. Submitting a memorandum to Governor SC Jamir, council general secretary Sura Sethi alleged that the State Government instead of facilitating due promotion to the SC and ST officers as per the Reservation Act prescribed in the Constitution is depriving hundreds of backward officers of promotional benefits.
“Though the Supreme Court in 2013, 2014 and 2015 has directed the Government to give promotion to the SC and ST officials as per the law prescribed by the concerned States, Odisha is yet to comply with the same,” said Sethi, lamenting that though the matter was brought to the Government’s notice on several occasions, no remedial measures had been taken as yet. According to the reservation policy of the State Government, OAS officers belonging to the SC/ST categories are eligible for promotion on seniority basis only after they are promoted to Junior Class I from Class II. But the same benefit is not allowed at the Class II and III levels, he said.