New Delhi: BJP on Monday said that reservation in promotion for SC/ST bill was passed after incorporating its suggestions, including taking merit into consideration, and the measure adhered to the party's stand of ensuring social justice within the constitutional parameters.
Deputy Leader of BJP in Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad maintained that his party had pledged support to the crucial bill only after the UPA government agreed to its recommendations.
"This bill has three clear implications. First, the SC/ST reservation category shall be given promotions only to the extent permissible in their quota in a state. This is 22 to 23 per cent," Prasad said here.
He further said that upon the insistence of BJP, an amendment had been introduced and passed that while considering the case of promotion the obligation of Article 335 of the Constitution, namely, efficiency in service shall not be ignored.
"This means that while considering the case of reservation category employees in promotion their service record, etc. Will be verified and considered even though with some relaxed considerations. Hence, if there is a serious adverse entry or lack of integrity or poor service record it will impact promotion," Prasad said.
The main opposition also claimed that Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley's suggestion that those promoted long back should not be adversely affected or demoted by this legislation has been agreed to by the government in principle.
"The government has accepted this suggestion and will be writing to the state governments accordingly," Prasad said.
BJP had issued a whip to its members and the party voted in favour of the bill.
"The bill is in accordance with BJP's view as it supports social justice subject to constitutional parameters," Prasad said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, December 17, 2012, 21:14