Ensure OBC representation in top management of AAI, BSNL, GAIL, Canara Bank: Par Panel

A parliamentary panel has asked the Centre to ensure representation of other backward classes (OBCs) in the board of directors of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Canara Bank, noting that their top management body have no one from the community.

In its reports, the panel also observed a shortfall in the OBC representation in the non-executive category in the BSNL and said a similar scenario is there in the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) as well in the executive and non-executive categories both, asking the communications ministry to address the issue "at the earliest" and take steps to ensure implementation of reservation policy ''in letter and spirit''.

The committee took note of four positions lying vacant in the Gas Authority of India Limited's (GAIL) board of directors and asked the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to take up the matter "at appropriate level" to ensure representation of the OBCs in the top management body of the public sector unit.

"The Committee feels that it is imperative to give due representation to the OBCs for the sake of social inclusion in the board of directors," it said.

The parliamentary committee on the OBC tabled four separate reports in Parliament on Wednesday along with its recommendations on the "measures taken to secure representation of the community members in employment and their welfare" in the AAI, BSNL, GAIL and Canara Bank.

Observing backlog vacancies in GAIL, BSNL and MTNL under OBC category, the committee asked their administrative ministries to fill up the positions. Taking note of "a persistent high backlog and shortfall" in OBC category in BSNL across all the posts since 2017, the parliamentary panel recommended that the communications ministry take stock of inadequate representation of the community in the public sector undertaking. While representation of the OBCs in the BSNL stood at just 20.91 per cent as on February 28, there was a shortfall in the representation of the community members in the non executive category (15.15 per cent) against the mandated 27 per cent, the panel observed.

"The committee is of the considered view that BSNL needs to take a comprehensive view and reflect whether the organisation has succeeded in safeguarding the constitutional guarantees being extended to the people belonging to the OBCs," it said. The panel took note of ''varied representation'' of the OBCs across all categories of posts in the BSNL, describing it as "an alarming trend", and asked the communications ministry to address the issue ''at the earliest''.

It also expressed disappointment over "poor implementation" of the reservation policy at the MTNL, noting that the overall representation of the OBCs in the central public sector undertaking stood at 9.1 per cent only as on June 30.

It asked the communications ministry to address the issue and ensure reservation policy is implemented in the MTNL. It also asked the ministry to put in place a grievance redressal mechanism for the OBC employees in BSNL and MTNL both "at the earliest", observing there is no such mechanism available at present. Noting 10 backlog vacancies under management category and 29 backlog vacancies under non-management category in GAIL, the committee recommended that these posts lying vacant be filled up "on priority basis to ensure employment opportunities to deserving OBC candidates." It expressed concern over complaints regarding transfer and posting received from employees after the merger of Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank.

"With a view to bring transparency in the matters of transfer and posting, the committee desired that the Canara Bank develop a software to deal with all the issues in a fair, neutral and speedy manner," it said.

The committee also "impressed upon" the finance ministry to put in place "a robust system" in tandem with all public sector banks and financial institutions to redress the concerns/grievances, including those pertaining to transfer and posting of employees. It asked the ministry to "continue to adopt" a sensitive approach in amicably ironing out all outstanding issues being faced by the employees of the OBC category.