New Delhi: Days after the BJP-led central government announced to recruit domain specialists at the joint secretary and director level in various ministries through lateral recruitment, the associations representing backward communities have started a stir against the government while pointing that the new recruitment process has no reservation policy for the marginalised castes, including SCs, STs and OBCs.
Protesting at Delhi's Jantar Jantar, a member of Mission Jai Bheem, Pushpendra, said, "Students preparing for UPSC will have to face a huge setback as the coveted posts of joint secretary-level will now be given to those who are not even eligible." He alleged that the government will now recruit those who helped them in assuming the office.
Subhash Chand, President of Mission Jai Bheem said that lateral entry is also not good for the Class-I workers in government jobs as they will have no more promotions. The promotions will now be reserved for the people who get the backdoor entry.
"The government will recruit, through lateral entry, people who are politically motivated. This will start the country in the wrong direction as the bureaucracy will according to party agendas" he added.
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BP Nigam, general secretary, Mission Jai Bheem, said, "If the government does not retract the policy of the lateral party, we will give a nationwide call for Bharat Bandh on March 7."
To recall, the government recently invited applications from those working in the private sector, public sector undertakings and state governments for three posts of joint secretaries and 27 posts of directors across ministries, to be filled through lateral entry by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Notably, the National Commission for Backward Classes has questioned the absence of reservation in the above positions from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). As per the sources, a meeting was held on Friday between the DoPT and NCBC officials on this issue and the officials have sought a week time to respond to their queries.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, last week, Samajwadi Party leader, Ram Gopal Yadav, had underscored that this new recruitment has no reservation policy. "In contradiction, if you see the government's rule, then it clearly talks about 27% reservation for OBCs, 15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs," he added.
