JAMMU: Terming the new recruitment policy of State Government as ‘anti-reservation’, around 200 members of various SC, ST and OBC organisations on Sunday staged a demonstration here to demand its immediate roll back.
Led by All India Confederation of SC, ST and OBC Organisations State President, R.K Kalsotra, the protesters claimed that the new policy was an attempt to deprive people belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward and other reserved classes of their constitutionally-guaranteed right of reservation in employment.
Speaking to media persons, Kalostra warned the Mufti Sayeed- led Government that they will launch a state-wide agitation if the government does not scrap the policy or implement the provisions of SC, ST and OBC reservation.
“With the formation of a new coalition government, the communities were hopeful that they would get due benefits of reservation. But by bringing this discriminatory recruitment policy, the present government has doubled the negative approach of previous government towards the SC/ST/OBC communities,” Kalsotra said.
He urged ministers and legislators belonging to the community to respect their concerns and rights and called upon them to immediately convince the Chief Minister about the plight of SCs, STs and OBCs.
Another leader Zabeer Ahmed Bajjar also urged the government to revisit the new recruitment policy to protect and safeguard the community’s interest.
“Reserved categories have already suffered a loss of more than 60,000 posts against regularised posts which were initially filled on contractual, adhoc and temporary basis in shapes of RET, REZ, SPO, Aganwadi workers, temporary appointment in PHE, PDD and rural development department and other public sectors undertakings and corporations.
“Instead of clearing the huge backlog, the government has unfortunately framed new recruitment policy with no reservation provision,” he claimed.
All India Backward Classes Union’s General Secretary Kali Dass demanded implementation of 27 percent reservation for OBCs as per Mandal Commission.
President Dalit Chetena Manch, Sham Lal Basson extended full support to the Confederation in its struggle launched against New Recruitment Policy.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Romesh Sarmal, Har Dutt Saryara, Sunil Takyal, Capt. Fateh Chand, Nizam Din, Sandokh Chand, Dr. Majid, Dr. Vijay, Narender Bhagat, Romesh Bitty, Imran Choudhary, Rakesh Meenia and Vijay Mangotra.