Govt yet to implement 3% quota in promotions

Even a Supreme Court order is not enough for the Narendra <g data-gr-id="38">Modi-led</g> government to initiate steps to give 3 per cent quota in promotions to persons with disabilities, working in its various departments. The Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) is yet to take any step on the February 27 Apex Court order of granting 3% quota in promotion to them.

The order had said that the government could not deny quota in promotion to those who were appointed to posts under the reservation policy for the physically handicapped.

Surprisingly, in contrary to the top court order, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) in reply to an RTI has said that the matter relating to the reservation in promotion in Group A and B posts for PWDs is still pending in the apex court.

“It is sad on the part of the Prime Minister Narendra <g data-gr-id="27">Modi-led</g> NDA government as the PWDs have been barred from their rights. This kind of approach was not expected from this government as Modi has always maintained that his government would protect the rights of all sections of the society,” said an official appointed under the PWD category.

“The PWDs officials in different ministries are yet to get any communication either from DoPT or Ministry of Social Justice over the reservation in promotion issue. We are clueless as why the Centre is acting in <g data-gr-id="32">discriminatory</g> way with <g data-gr-id="33">PWDs,</g> when the SC has ordered in favour of the community,” said another official.

According to the Apex Court judgment, the bench of Chief Justices HL Dattu and AK Sikri, had said, “Why confine the reservation benefit only to the entry level and not for promotion. If a person is disabled, he is always disabled. So, as long as the disability continues, he should continue to get reservation benefits. We feel that these disabled persons should have <g data-gr-id="34">reservation</g> not only at the entry level but also at the time of promotion.”

Notably, the law provides for 3 <g data-gr-id="26">per cent</g> reservation to physically challenged persons in government service. After a long adjudication process on a PIL, the top court had directed governments to implement the quota for disabled and fill the vacancies, including backlogs.