Members from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities are not being given the opportunity to rise up to senior or board level positions in public sector units, a Parliamentary committee said in its report on Monday, according to PTI.
The Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made the statement in its report “Reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Central Public Sector Undertaking with special reference to Power Grid Corporation of India Limited” tabled before Parliament.
“The committee feels that with a view to provide socio-economic equality as enshrined in the Constitution, the government should take affirmative action to accommodate due representatives from the SCs/STs in the board/senior level appointments,” said the panel, led by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirit Solanki.
The panel said that it wanted know the number of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes candidates who appeared for interviews for senior level positions at public sector units and the reason why they were not selected.
In case of the State Bank of India, the panel said that meritorious Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes officers were being denied promotion by levelling fictitious charges against them despite the them having excellent previous records, reported The Tribune.
The committee also questioned the government on why there was no Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes director on the bank’s board of directors.
It also noted that there was no Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes officer on the Power Grid Corporation of India’s board of directors, reported The Indian Express.
“No representation of SC/ST in one of apex CPSEs [central public sector enterprise] of the country is a matter of grave concern,” it said. “The committee is of the view that the relevant Act for appointment of chairman/members in Power Grid should be suitably amended to provide representation to SCs/STs on the board of directors.”
The panel also said it feels that the government was not serious to its observations and recommendations made in regard to the reviewing the policy on appointments to board and management level posts in all public sector units.
It recommended that the Department of Public Enterprises should submit a proposal to the Cabinet to amend the existing rules and regulations to facilitate appointment of persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the board of directors.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!