39 Deputy Directors in Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department Face Demotion; 37 Are from SC Community

Chennai- Villupuram MP Dr. Ravikumar has sharply criticized the Tamil Nadu government for depriving Scheduled Caste (SC) government officials of their promotion opportunities. His criticism comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling challenging the Tamil Nadu government's roster system used for reservations in promotions.

In a recent statement, Dr. Ravikumar condemned the government's actions, which he claims are denying SC officials their rightful career advancements.

He highlighted a year-old petition he submitted to N. Kayalvizhi, Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare on July 25 last year, urging the enactment of a special law to address the issue. This petition was a response to the Supreme Court's decision in a case filed by an Other Backward Classes (OBC) member against the roster system.

Dr. Ravikumar's petition had called for the introduction of emergency legislation similar to measures implemented in other Indian states to protect SC officials' promotion rights.

Despite this appeal, he argues that the Tamil Nadu government has yet to address the injustice effectively, leading to continued deprivation of promotion opportunities for SC government officers.

In the petition Dr Ravikumar had also mentioned the state government’s failure to address backlog vacancies reserved for SC and ST categories. The 2021 Governor's address had promised action to inventory and fill these backlog positions. However, as of June 30, 2022, significant vacancies remain unfilled in the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, with 469 out of 616 reserved positions still vacant.

Additionally, 68 positions have been surrendered. The largest number of backlog vacancies were then found in the School Education and Higher Education Departments.

The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to abandon the roster system for promotions, as mandated by the Supreme Court, has led to the demotion of thousands of SC and ST employees. This has raised concerns about the government’s commitment to protecting the career advancement opportunities of these officials.