Maha govt decides to fill posts falling in 'general category' by promoting

The Maharashtra government has decided to fill only posts falling in the general category by way of promotions for now as the state is yet to take a decision on a Supreme Court directive on reservations in promotions. A General Administration Department order Thursday said that the Maharashtra government would carry out promotions only in posts falling in the open category as per a December 29, 2017 decision.

The GAD order came after the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal recently quashed promotions of 154 police personnel, belonging to the reserved categories, as sub-inspectors. The MAT, while setting them aside, had said that there was no policy in the state regarding reservations in promotions. The SC, on September 26 this year, had asked states to take a decision regarding reservation in promotions.

The apex court, on that day, had refused to refer its 2006 verdict on SC/ST reservation in promotions to a seven-judge bench. A five-judge constitution bench, in its 2006 verdict, had said states are bound to provide quantifiable data on the backwardness of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the facts about their inadequate representation in government jobs and overall administrative efficiency, before providing quota in promotions to members of these communities.