New Delhi: The Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes criticised the Department of Telecommunications and the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for their “casual approach” on the reservation in promotions for SC and ST employees.
The committee, which is chaired by BJP MP Kirit Premjibhai Solanki, tabled its report titled ‘Ways and Means to ensure reservation for SCs and STs in the light of privatisation, outsourcing of work and contractual employment in Government Services, PSUs and Autonomous Bodies with special reference to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’ in the Lok Sabha on Friday, according to a report in the Indian Express.
The report noted that the promotion of SC/ST employees in BSNL had been on hold despite a 2018 Supreme Court order allowing the Centre to provide reservation in promotions to SC/ST employees “in accordance with law’’.
The BSNL, in its reply to the committee, cited ongoing cases in high courts and said the matter was sub-judice and may invite contempt of court.
Given the ongoing restructuring at the public sector undertaking, substantial changes in the man-power composition at different levels are expected as BSNL is also giving it employees the option of Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS). BSNL has cited this is as another reason for the halt in promotions.
BSNL, which has a workforce of 1,53,823 employees, with 44,983 in the executive category and 1,08,839 in the non-executive category, has 17.86% SC employees in the executive category and 18.73% in the non-executive category. The number of ST employees is lower with 6.01% in the executive category and 5.35% in the non-executive category.
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The committee said that while SC representation in executive and non-executive categories was adequate, ST representation in executive and non-executive levels was below the required level of 7.5%.
“The Committee strongly recommends that the management of BSNL should maintain strictly the prescribed percentage of reservation for SCs/STs in all executive and non-executive posts. The Committee re-emphasize the fact that it is mandatory to maintain percentage of reservation for STs to ensure more opportunity for the STs,’’ said the report.
“The Committee also feels that the Ministry of Communications (Department of Telecommunications) and BSNL should have consulted Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Legal Affairs) at the time of disposal and address these issues in the right direction. The Committee strongly deplore the casual approach of the Ministry in this regard,’’ the committee said.
The Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Communications has not issued promotion orders of 124 SC/ST officials since 2018 due to a stay order by the Central Administrative Tribunal.