‘Over 4 lakh backlog vacancies for SC,ST, OBC filled’

New Delhi, Dec 19: More than four lakh backlog vacancies reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) candidates have been filled since 2016, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.

“Occurrence and filling of vacancies, including the backlog reserved vacancies, is a continuous process,” he said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Instructions have been issued to all ministries/departments of the central government to constitute an in-house committee for identification of backlog reserved vacancies, to study the root cause of such vacancies, to initiate measures to remove the factors causing such vacancies and to fill them up including through special recruitment drives, said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel.

“As per the data furnished by the ministries/departments, more than 4 lakh backlog reserved vacancies in respect of SC/ST and OBC candidates have been filled up since 2016,” he said.

The minister said each ministry/department of the central government is required to designate an officer of the rank of Deputy Secretary and above, as Liaison Officer, to ensure due compliance of the orders and instructions pertaining to reservation.

Further, each ministry/department is required to set up a special reservation cell under the direct control of the Liaison Officer to assist her/him in discharge of duties, he said.

The details of vacancies are however maintained by the respective government organisations under the concerned ministry/department, the minister said.

“Ministries/departments of the central government have been directed, from time to time, to fill up the vacant posts in a time bound manner,” Singh said.