Plea for SC posts at GTA

Vivek Chhetri, TT,  Feb 13, 2018 Darjeeling: The Schedule Caste communities from the Darjeeling hills called on GTA chief Binay Tamang on Tuesday and urged him to ensure that their rights and privileges were safeguarded in the hill body.

They have demanded that seats be reserved for the SC in the GTA and roster system be implemented during appointments in the hill body.

Reemesh Mothay, the general secretary of the All India Nepali Schedule Caste Association, said: "Our population in the hills stands at 17.19 per cent but right from DGHC days and now during the GTA's term, there is no reservation of seats for our community members. We have requested GTA chairman Binay Tamang to kindly look into the matter."

The hills have a population of around 8.75 lakh as per the 2011 census. The GTA has 45 elected members but no seats have been reserved for the SC community.

Seats are, however, reserved for the SC community as per the law of the land in municipalities. Seats are also reserved for the community in Assemblies and Parliament.

The association has also demanded that the 100 point roster system be implemented by the GTA.

"The 100-point roster system has not been followed properly while making appointments in the GTA. We have sought the implementation of the same," said Kuber Gahatraj, the president of the association.

According to the roster system, the SC community is entitled to 22 per cent reservation, while the quota for the Scheduled Tribe community and Other Backward Classes stands at 6 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively.

"We have learnt that 204 Schedule Caste vacancies of teaching staff in higher secondary school and high schools have not been fulfilled purportedly because of lack of qualified candidates from the community. But we do not think there is a lack of eligible candidates from our community," said Gahatraj, who has requested Tamang to look into these issues also.

Tamang, who will be leaving for Calcutta on Wednesday for administrative meetings with various state officials, have promised to take up the matter with the officials concerned.