Demanding Reservations in Promotions is legally untenable: Shameem Bukhari
SRINAGAR, October 31: Jammu and Kashmir General Category Welfare Forum (JKGCWF) on Saturday strongly criticized the voices that are advocating Reservation in Promotions for employees in contravention to the Hon’ble Supreme Court ruling.
Presiding over a meeting, Shameem Bukhari, Chairman JKGCWF observed that some organizations in Jammu and Kashmir are trying to pressurize the present dispensation for promotions of the employees who have already availed the undue benefits under the garb of category reservations.
The meeting was attended by Aftab Andrabi Patron of the Forum, F A Mir Vice Chairman, G.M Akhoon Chief Advisor, M.A Tantray Secretary, Nisarul Kareem spokesperson and District Presidents Zahoor Ahmad Qadri, A H Shah, A R Kak, Dr.Noor Bukhari,Peerzada Gh Mohi-u-Din, Shabir Ahmad Shah,Mohammad Jaffer,Adil Ramzan and some special invitees from Jammu like Ved Prakash Sharma President Brahman Sabha, Bishan Singh General Secretary Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha, and Ramesh Gupta, President Mahajan Sabha.
“Some so-called champions of the economically underprivileged sections of the society who have risen to ranks by misusing the reserved categories are now harping for reservations in promotions at the cost of interests of employees who have got their jobs on the basis of merit and open competitions,” Bukhari observed.
Referring to various rulings of the Apex Court and the Hon’ble High Court of Jammu Kashmir, Bukhari said that the Courts have categorically scrapped the idea of having Reservation in Promotion and the said matter is awaiting disposal before the Supreme Court.
“There is a “status quo” order in the matter. It is illegal and unconstitutional to grant reservation in Promotions without following the laid down rules,” Bukhari remarked in the meeting. He said the JKGCWF shall fight tirelessly for equality and justice for the masses and not let fringe elements sabotage the rule of law.
“Through this meeting, we seek to impress upon the present dispensation which we believe stands for justice and fairness; not to take any decision that is based on inequality and injustice,” Bukhari said. He added that the interests of general category employees have always been marred by almost all the political parties who consider the economically weaker sections as their vote bank and have used the reservations in jobs as a bait to lure the gullible.
“JKGCWF reiterates its stand that the government should take all the steps to empower the economically downtrodden sections including all the reserved categories but not at the cost of open merit,” he said, while appealing the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha not to accord any consideration to unfounded and legally untenable demands of the organizations claiming to be representatives of underprivileged categories of the society.
