Depts told to fill 33,000 vacant quota posts in phases in Maharashtra

More than 33,000 posts allotted for the reserved categories are lying vacant across the state. Departments have now directed to fill the vacancies on immediate basis with prior permission from the government.

Of the more than 1 lakh vacancies across departments, 33,638 are from the reserved categories, including scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, nomadic tribes, other backward classes.

OBC category tops the chart of vacancies in reserved categories with 20,015 posts, followed by scheduled caste with 7,177 and Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes with 2,904.

Also, nearly 9,527 posts are vacant due to promotions. In after promotion vacancies category scheduled caste and scheduled tribe lead with 2,438 and 2,587 vacant posts.

Though the class I and II posts can be filled without problems, technical posts such as teachers and nurses in class III and IV, need special permission from a committee headed by principal secretary of general administration department (GAD) KP Bakshi.
But, non-technical posts such as clerical staff, peons and drivers cannot be appointed under any circumstances, the order stated.

“The government has extended the ban on the appointment on Class III posts till June 2012. However, the posts can be filled by special permission from the committee and by justifying the need,” said PS Meena, principal secretary, GAD. 

“We have directed all the departments to fill the posts. Some of the departments, including home, have started filling the posts up. Departments like Revenue, Transport and Excise have more posts lying vacant in the reserved category.”

GAD had issued a government resolution in June 2010 announcing a ban on recruitments for class III and IV posts. The decision was taken due to financial crunch faced by the state and rise in establishment expenditure after implementation of the sixth pay commission.

The ban was extended by one year till June 2012 and the reason was reiterated. This has resulted in more than 1 lakh posts lying vacant in various departments across state.