NCSC asks Punjab govt to consider reservation in promotion of judicial officers

While hearing the petition titled “Denial of reservation in promotion to the Scheduled Caste Employees in the Courts in the State of Punjab –reg” in the presence of senior officers of the Centre and the state summoned especially at Commission’s headquarters in New Delhi, Commission Chairman Vijay Sampla asked the state government to submit the progress report to the Commission in the next two weeks.

New Delhi:The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) on Thursday directed the Punjab government to consider the reservations in the promotion of the judicial officers and other court employees, belonging to the Scheduled Caste category.

While hearing the petition titled “Denial of reservation in promotion to the Scheduled Caste Employees in the Courts in the State of Punjab –reg” in the presence of senior officers of the Centre and the state summoned especially at Commission’s headquarters in New Delhi, Commission Chairman Vijay Sampla asked the state government to submit the progress report to the Commission in the next two weeks.

Baldeep Kaur, Special Secretary (Home Affairs and Justice), Punjab government; Sanjeev Berry, Registrar General, Punjab and Haryana High Court; and Anju Rathi Rana, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Law and Justice were present in the hearing.

The petitioner who approached the commission had informed that the state government had passed a law—Punjab Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006 and as per the act Group A & B employees will get 14 % reservation, group c & d will get 20 % reservation in promotions- which had never been implemented, in the case of judicial services and for other court employees.

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During the hearing, Vijay Sampla said, “Supreme Court in State of Bihar & another Vs Bal Mukund Saha and others (2000), held that any office or establishment of the Judiciary of the State of Bihar concerned with appointments to public services and posts in connection with affairs of the Judiciary of the State of Bihar would fall within the sweep of the term ‘establishment’.” On similar lines, engagement of judicial officers and other court employees in various courts of Punjab must be in the ‘establishment’ category of the state government.”

“After hearing the parties in detail, the Commission recommends that the Home Ministry of Punjab Government will immediately move the file for implementation, in accordance with the reservation rules for the Punjab Govt. Progress made in the matter to be intimated to the Commission within the two weeks”, Sampla added.

The Commission also expressed its displeasure over the fact that no concrete action has been taken on the recommendations given by the Commission in its previous hearings, even after the lapse of considerable time.

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