Centre paves way for benefit of reservation in promotions for its 'divyangjan' staffers

New Delhi: In a major move, the Centre has decided to give the benefit of reservation in promotions to its employees with benchmark disabilities (divyangjans), according to an order issued by the personnel ministry.

The eligible staffers would be considered for the promotions on 'notional basis' with effect from June 30, 2016, the order said.

"PwD (person with disabilities) employees in posts and services of the central government will be considered for grant of the benefit of reservation in promotion up to the lowest rung of Group 'A' on notional basis with effect from 30.6.2016, subject to their fulfilment of the eligibility conditions...," the order issued to the secretaries of all central government departments read.

Any such promotion during the period from June 30, 2016 till the PwD employee actually assumes the charge of the post will only be on notional basis and the actual financial benefit of promotion will be effective from the date he or she actually assumes the charge of the promoted post, it said.

It means no financial arrear will be admissible to them for the period between the date on which they get the benefit of notional promotion and the date on which they actually assume or have already assumed the charge of the promoted post, the order explained.

The personnel ministry has also suggested the creation of supernumerary posts (permanent posts created under special circumstances for a specific period) so that the inter-se seniority of the officials in various grades is not affected and to avoid 'administrative inconvenience'.

'Extending the benefit of reservation in promotion to the PwD employees on notional basis between 30.6.2016 and actual assumption of the charge of the post may affect the inter-se seniority of the officials in various grades. Due to this, there may be cases in which some officials may have to be placed in a select list or seniority list, subsequent to the year of their existing or present seniority list or select list,' it said.

This may have a chain effect as it may result in a revision of the seniority lists in the subsequent years in many cases, which may cause administrative inconvenience, the order added.

'In order to avoid such a situation, supernumerary posts may be created to adjust the lien of such PwD employees with effect from the date on or after 30.6.2016, when they become eligible to get the benefit of reservation in promotion, till the availability of the vacancy in which the promotion is to be made or till they vacate the post on their retirement, further promotion etc., whichever is earlier,' it said.

The creation of such supernumerary posts will be personal to the PwD employee who is given the benefit of reservation in promotion on notional basis. This post will stand abolished on the date when such a PwD employee is adjusted against the available vacancy in the grade in which the promotion is given or when the PwD employee vacates the post on his or her retirement, further promotion etc., the order said.

All ministries and departments have been advised to undertake an exercise to ascertain the requirement of supernumerary posts and submit the proposal for the creation of the posts to the Department of Expenditure through the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), it added.

'It is clarified that the benefit of notional promotion, as proposed above, shall not adversely affect those PwD candidates who have already been granted the benefit of reservation in promotion in personam (made against a specific person) in pursuance of the orders and judgments of various courts of law,' the order said.

The Central Secretariat Service Forum, an association of Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officers, had recently written to the DoPT secretary, seeking reservation in promotions for PwDs.