Paswan thanks SC for reservation in promotion verdict

Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on reservation in promotion today, saying it will re-open the doors to the members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities for promotion in government jobs.

In a major relief to the Centre, the apex court today allowed it to go ahead with reservations in promotion for the SC/ST employees in "accordance with law".

"I thank the Supreme Court for its verdict on reservation in promotion to the SC/ST employees in government jobs. The doors that were closed will now re-open," the Dalit leader said.

The Union minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for pursuing the matter so that the court was approached during the summer vacation and the case was put up before it by the additional solicitor general.

The Delhi High Court, in an order on August 23 last year, had set aside an August, 1997 office memorandum issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on the issue of reservation in promotion to the SC/ST employees.

The high court had also restrained the Centre from granting reservation in promotion without first collecting the data on inadequate representation.

A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court had, in the Indra Sawhney case in 1992, allowed the reservation in promotion for the SC/ST employees to continue for a period of five years from November 16, 1992.