Bengaluru: Governor Vajubhai R. Vala has decided to send the Bill to provide reservation in promotion to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, passed in the Belagavi legislature session recently, to President Ram Nath Kovind for reference.
The Karnataka Extension of Consequential Seniority to Government Servants Promoted on the basis of Reservation (to the posts in the civil services of the State) Bill, 2017, has invited criticism with a demand for it as well opposition to it. The government was forced to take the legislation route after the Supreme Court struck down reservation in promotions for SC/ST employees, while hearing a petition filed by a section of employees in the State.
Earlier, the Governor had declined to give his assent to the Ordinance promulgated by the government. Following this, the government had introduced the Bill. The State has been providing reservation in promotions for SC/STs employees since 1978 — 15% for SCs and 3% for STs. However, the Supreme Court in the B.K. Pavithra and others vs. Union of India and others civil appeal, filed in 2011, struck down reservation in promotions for SC/ST employees. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra told presspersons here on Thursday that the Bill would be sent to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in accordance with the instructions of the Governor.
