Dalit-friendly GO still on the back burner

By Radha Venkatesan

CHENNAI, JULY 19. The controversial GO.44 enabling direct recruitment of SC\ST to government departments continues in official cold storage as the AIADMK regime is yet to give the nod for restoring it.

Though the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, gave an unequivocal assurance in the Assembly over a month ago that the revoked Dalit-friendly GO would be implemented, no order has been passed yet.

Highly placed sources said G0.44 was listed on the agenda of two Cabinet meetings, but it was not taken up for discussion. And, even during the departmental review meeting, the GO was put on the back burner.

However, the Adi Dravidar Welfare department has now proposed to the Government that a high-level committee be constituted comprising heads of the Personnel and Administrative Reforms department and the recruiting departments, to come up with suggestions for implementing the GO.

As the service rules of most of the 94 government departments do not provide for direct recruitment of SC\ST to all posts, the rules have to be suitably amended, say officials.

The erstwhile DMK regime revoked the GO.44 enabling direct recruitment of SC\ST in all backlog vacancies at all levels and categories of government posts, and replaced with G0 33, which provided for only entry-level recruitments.

Predictably, the withdrawal of GO 44 kicked up a political storm with the then Opposition, AIADMK, leading a spirited statement war for its reinstatement. Following the furore, a high-level committee headed by Mr. Justice K. Swamidurai was appointed to ``find ways and means'' of making the GO workable.

When it took over in May, the AIADMK Government refused to extend the term of the committee, stating it was committed to implementing the GO. And, the committee wound up even without presenting a report.

But, even two months after the AIADMK regime assumed charge, the GO continues to hang fire, lament Dalit activists.

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Section  : Southern States
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