Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 10: All India Confederation of SC/ST/OBC Organizations has demanded withdrawal of lateral entry system in the bureaucracy in the Central Government.
Addressing a press conference, RK Kalsotra, State president of the Confederation, said that it was in 2018 that the BJP Government led by PM Narendra Modi decided to initiate lateral entry in the bureaucracy.
He said that civil servants/bureaucrats are integral system of Indian Administration and often these officers become the true centres of power. Kalsotra mentioned that politicians, Governments come and go but the civil servants stay as they have a fixed tenure. “In order to maintain an ideological hegemony, a permanent source of power is required and it is perhaps that’s why that the lateral entry is introduced,” he alleged.
Kalsotra said that civil servants are hired via an open competitive exam conducted by UPSC but the question of merit is forgone in case of lateral entry as these entrants would not have passed the UPSC exam. He alleged that under the disguise of appointing experts, the Government wants to create a cadre of permanent civil servants who would serve the ideological purpose of the Government and that of welfare.
Madan Lal Chadgal, State coordinator of the Confederation pointed out that with lateral entry, the scope of reservation is even more reduced for the vulnerable groups to enter the system. “This process is entirely undemocratic, non inclusive and arbitrary and we demand for its removal as soon as possible,” he added.
Mohd Abdullah Choudhary, former general secretary of the Confederation said that lateral entry undermines a fair chance of representation to the students and gives enormous power to the Central Government to appoint officials of their choice to a high ranked post. This can also lead to corruption and calling for favours, he added.
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