A parliamentary panel has asked the Centre to implement reservation in jobs outsourced by ministries, government departments, PSUs and autonomous organisations and in contractual appointments.
The Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in its report on the “Role of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in Formulation, Implementation and Monitoring of Reservation Policy” has also asked the Centre its stand on implementing reservation in private companies, industries, schools and colleges that receive grants from the government.
The committee headed by BJP MP Kirit Premjibhai Solanki tabled the report in Parliament this month. The DoPT told the panel that the social justice and empowerment ministry, the nodal ministry on the formulation of the SC reservation policy, has supported job quotas in private sector firms receiving government grants.
The reservation for SCs, STs, Other Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) is being implemented in direct recruitment by the government departments and PSUs. It is yet to be enforced in contractual and outsourced jobs and positions in privately managed firms.
According to the DoPT orders, reservation for persons belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories is applicable in temporary appointments that are to last for 45 days or more. However, the General Financial Rules issued by the finance ministry allow ministries and government departments to hire “consulting services” through contracting agencies. Reservation is not implemented in these contractual jobs.
“The committee is of the firm view that since the payment to outsourced to private entity is made from the Consolidated Fund of India and that DoPT being a principal employer should issue strict instructions and that there should be a special contract clause for implementation of reservation policy for SCs and STs to be followed by the contractors while engaging the workers,” the report said.
A government official said the government and its autonomous bodies have started engaging retired persons as consultants and young men as contractual workers for data entry and office assistant jobs.
“The government is also engaging young professionals who are graduates of top educational institutions at a consolidated amount on contractual basis. These professionals help in policy formulation. But there is no job or social security and no reservation. Contractual recruitment has become a new form of exploitation,” said an official.
