Parliamentary panel pulls up BSNL for not meeting ST job quota

A parliamentary committee has pulled up BSNL for not meeting employment quota and facilities for scheduled tribes.

As per prescribed rules the percentage of reservation for scheduled tribes (STs) on all India basis is 7.5 per cent but the state-run telecom firm has not been able to maintain it both at executive and non-executive posts because of various legal interventions, according to a report of Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes laid in the Lok Sabha today.

"The committee are not satisfied with the reply of the government that BSNL is not able to maintain the prescribed percentage of 7.5 per cent for STs due to court stay on reservation in promotion of executives of various cadres," the panel said.

The committee chaired by BJP MP Kirit P Solanki, said that if BSNL officials had a little more concern and cautious about the welfare of scheduled castes and STs for proper and timely implementation of reservation policy in recruitment and promotion then these employees would not have been compelled to approach the courts to address their grievances.

"Now due to sluggishness of company and courts verdict, the promotion prospects of many SC/ST employees have already been adversely affected. The committee are distressed to note that since all the cases are sub-judice, hence the prospect of of out of court settlement are not feasible," the panel said asking BSNL to make best effort to expeditiously resolve all court cases to maintain the prescribed percentage of STs.