Hike in SC, ST reservation: Will urge Centre to include it in 9th schedule, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that his government will urge the Centre to include the recent increase in reservation to SC and ST communities under the ninth schedule of the Constitution.
He also gave an assurance that the government will table the Socio Economic Survey report in the legislature.
The chief minister said this after being felicitated by a delegation of the Federation of Backward Classes and Dalit seers here, his office said in a release.
Terming the hike of reservation by the previous BJP government an election gimmick, the CM said that even though the legislation enhancing reservation was implemented, they sent the proposal to the Centre to include the same in the 9th schedule just two days before elections.
The previous government has created confusion on the pretext of creating internal reservation for backward and scheduled castes, he said. "As a result of ignoring the advice given by us to take all communities into confidence before enhancing internal reservation, they faced opposition from various communities."
Such confusions arise when one does not have a commitment to social justice, he further said, adding that the Jana Sangh and the BJP have always had an anti-reservation stance. "The increase in reservation is a political gimmick."
The government will clear all confusions with regard to reservations, Siddaramaiah said, adding "The people of Karnataka have given an opportunity to the Congress party and are expecting a change. Whether it is in power or not, the Congress is always a secular party and will never compromise on its stand with regard to social justice."
Equal opportunities have to be given to people who are deprived of opportunities, the CM said, adding that when Congress was in power previously, the government had conducted socio-economic surveys through a permanent backward classes commission at a cost of Rs 162 crore.
"The previous governments hesitated to receive the survey report, but now our government will receive the report. Necessary facilities shall be provided in different sectors like education, employment, and business based on the facts," he added.
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SC invalidates appointment of 25,753 teachers, other staff in West Bengal schools
New Delhi (PTI): In a major jolt to the West Bengal government, the Supreme Court on Thursday invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and other staff in state-run and state-aided schools, and termed the entire selection process "vitiated and tainted".
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar upheld a Calcutta High Court verdict dated April 22, 2024, annulling the appointments and ordered the Trinamool Congress-led state government to initiate a fresh selection process to be concluded within three months.
"In our opinion, this is the case where the entire selection process is vitiated and tainted beyond resolution. Manipulations and frauds on a large scale, coupled with attempts to cover-up, have dented the selection process beyond repair.
"The credibility and legitimacy of selection are diluted, and accordingly, we have to keep it (order of the high court) with some modifications," the CJI said while pronouncing the verdict on as many as 127 petitions pertaining to the Calcutta High Court verdict.
The CJI also said the employees whose appointments have been annulled are not needed to return their salaries and other emoluments earned so far.
It, however, made relaxation for certain disabled employees on humanitarian grounds, saying they would remain in the job.
The bench fixed pleas, including the one filed by the West Bengal government challenging the high court direction for a CBI probe, for hearing on April 4.
The detailed judgement is awaited.
On February 10, the top court reserved its judgement on a batch of petitions in the matter and said that those who got jobs wrongly may be knocked out.
The top court commenced the final hearing on December 19 last year and heard the parties on January 15, 27 and February 10 before reserving its verdict on the politically-sensitive case.
Citing irregularities such as OMR sheet tampering and rank-jumping, the high court had invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in state-run and state-aided schools in West Bengal.
On May 7 last year, the apex court stayed the high court's order over the appointments made by the state's School Service Commission (SSC).
The top court, however, permitted the CBI to continue with its probe into the matter.
The case stemmed from the alleged irregularities in the 2016 recruitment process conducted by the West Bengal SSC in which 23 lakh candidates appeared for 24,640 posts and a total of 25,753 appointment letters were issued.
The apex court had termed it a "systemic fraud".
The high court instructed those appointed outside the officially available 24,640 vacancies, those recruited after the expiry of the official date, and those who submitted blank OMR sheets but obtained appointments to return all the remunerations and benefits received by them with 12 per cent per interest.
Former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee and Trinamool Congress MLAs Manik Bhattacharya and Jiban Krishna Saha are among the accused being probed in the recruitment scam.
