Bengaluru: In a bold decision, the state Cabinet on Wednesday cleared reservation in promotions for scheduled caste and tribe employees as spelled out in the Karnataka Extension of Consequential Seniority to Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of Reservation Act, 2017, although the Supreme Court is still hearing the matter.
The Cabinet decided to go ahead and implement the law passed by both Houses of the legislature on the advice of its senior counsel, Mukul Rohatgi, in the Supreme Court.
But making it clear that the government would abide by the final decision of the court in the matter, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister, Krishna Byregowda told reporters that Mr Rohatgi had informed it that the state government had already passed the law and it had been approved by the President. “The Supreme Court recorded his submission and did not make any adverse remarks. In Mr Rohatgi’s view the state has no option but to implement the new law,” he explained.
To a question, Mr Byregowda said there was no deadline to implement the new law in toto. “The seniority list has still to be prepared as many of those who featured in the last list have retired. The government will have to consider what to do about them. The new eligible candidates will have to be added to the fresh seniority list and as every department is likely to take its own time to prepare it, the law will be implemented at different times for different departments,” he said, adding that the
matter was scheduled to come up for hearing in the Supreme Court on February 5, 6 and 7.
