National Commission for Scheduled Castes panel sends notice to government on promotion of 23 Dalit officials

The issue dates back to 2007-08 when there was a backlog in filling up vacancies of 23 Dalit officials as the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) had failed to fill it. Following it, in 2010, the state government had issued a Government Order (GO) to fill the backlog vacancy and based on the GO, in the year 2013, 56 candidates were selected by the TNPSC through the Group-I exam and the list of 56 candidates included the 23 backlog vacancies. The procedure to follow during promotion is to give priority to the 23 Dalit officials and the remaining 33 would be promoted after them. 

The time for the first set of promotion for those selected in 2013 is due and by the time, the TNPSC should have prepared the list of 23 Dalit officials for promotion. However, the TNPSC is apparently refusing to give priority to the Dalit officials in promotion despite the two GOs issued by the state government in 2016 and 2017. 

Pandiarajan, member, Madurai District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee, sent a petition to the NCSC demanding action against the TNPSC for not following the GOs issued in connection with the promotion of the TNPSC officials and charged that the commission is following the policy of untouchability. 

Based on the representation of Pandiarajan, the NCSC served notice to the state government seeking its reply on the steps taken by the TNPSC, by June 15. If the officials fail to submit the report within the stipulated time, the Principal Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department is likely to be summoned. 

Meanwhile, one of the 23 Dalit officials, on the condition of anonymity, said their batch topper is a close relative of a minister and due to that influence, the TNPSC officials are refusing to give promotion for them. The topper does not want to see the Dalit officials getting promoted ahead of her and so along with the minister’s influence is blocking the promotions, said the official.