The BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government continues to stick to a 1997 order which discriminates between the general category government officers and staff on the one side and those belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward communities on the other when it comes to holding an officer accountable after departmental inquiry.
The controversial order, issued on November 12, 1997 and signed by the then chief secretary K.S. Sharma, was being enforced continually by four successive state governments, including the present regime headed by Shivraj Singh Chouhan. This issue was raised prominently and serious concern was expressed regarding the “highly demoralised” government work-force belonging to the general category by serving and retired bureaucrats, who attended a seminar organised by the Madhya Pradesh chapter of Indian Institute of Public Administration in the state capital recently.
The order in question, which was passed by the state general administration department (GAD) to address the issue of “discrimination against officers and staff belonging to the SC/ST and other backward communities”, categorically goes on to emphasise that leniency and special consideration should be shown towards the government staff belonging to the reserved category.
In service related matters, the officers and staff belonging to the SC/ST and other backward communities, should be let off in the first instance after advising them to improve their working, the order goes on to say adding a warning should be issued only if they fail to improve.