Delhi Metro makes excuses and avoids its social responsibilities

Anushka Khare Posted on: 2019-03-27 09:22:38 Viewer: 819 Comments: 0 Country: India City: New Delhi

Delhi Metro makes excuses and avoids its social responsibilities

New Delhi (Urban Transport News): The Lok Sabha Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) presented its report on the “Reservation for and employment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)” and found glaring issues such as, “no specific measure for upliftment of SC/ST people…since its inception”, not a single member of the community in its board and just one sent abroad for training in the last three years. The committee accused the DMRC for giving “excuses” and “avoiding its social responsibilities” citing absolute lack of representation of the backward communities in the board.

The committee on welfare of SC/STs noted that of the 17 members on the DMRC board, not a single member from SC/ST communities was present. “The Committee strongly feels that no sincere efforts have been made by the Government either to appoint functional Director or nominee Director from SC/ST community,” it said, recommending a clear policy to appoint at least a single director from the SC/ST community on the board. In view of the constitutional mandate of socio-economic justice, the panel also recommended that the DMRC must provide representation to the SC and the ST through reservation in Board of Director, or “at least by appointing a director in the board through nomination” by either the Central or the State Government.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) told the committee that there was no bar in the appointment of members from the SC/ST community, and they were “as much eligible to be considered”, but argued that “all the seven posts of the functional Directors are single post cadre, for which no reservation is applicable”. The DMRC added that there were no guidelines prescribing reservation for the post and that their absence “is only incidental”.

The committee said that the DMRC was “not serious to the observation and recommendation made by the Committee from time to time in regard to reviewing of policy on appointments to the Board/Management level posts in all the PSUs including Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).” “In place of giving excuses for the appointment of SC/ST candidates to the Board level position,” the committee recommended that DMRC take up the matter with the DoPT and “make genuine efforts to ensure their representation.” The committee said it was “not satisfied with the stereotyped reply” provided by the DMRC that SC/ST candidates weren’t “available at entry level and in promotion even after meeting the relaxed standard.” It argued that there must be a “lacuna in the advertisement of vacancies or grading of SC/ST…otherwise, there is a dearth of talent in SC/ST candidates present”.

It recommended that the Urban Development Ministry“ assess the recruitment and promotion policy of DMRC for SCs and STs and suggest remedial/corrective measures to meet this shortfall at the entry as well as promotion level.” The DMRC replied that its recruitment and promotion policies in the DMRC are derived from the government of India, including those pertaining to the reservation of SC/ST candidates. “Accrual of backlog vacancies are incidental to the processes of recruitment and promotions and are duly accounted for in the next cycles/drives,” the government told the committee and said that all decisions regarding recruitment, promotion, training are taken by DMRC and that the Ministry doesn’t “interfere in the recruitment procedure of DMRC”. This left the committee fuming. “The Committee is surprised to note the indifferent attitude of the Government for their recommendation on the issue.

The Government instead of taking the recommendation of the Committee seriously, simply stated that the Ministry does not interfere in the recruitment procedure of DMRC.” The committee didn’t budge and reiterated its earlier recommendation adding that it hopes that the “government will do its best efforts to ensure that all the vacancies and backlog of SCs and STs is filled without any further delay.” The Committee noted that from 2014-17, the DMRC sent 36 employees for training abroad, of which only one was from the SC community. “This shows the casual attitude of DMRC for equal treatment for their employees belong to SCs/STs,” the committee said.

The government responded that sending employees abroad was “incidental to the work as these training are work specific” and argued that there was “no bias” against the community. The committee wasn’t satisfied and recommended that “whenever delegation/employees are sent for training in abroad, there must be the representation of SCs and STs in order to have more and more experience in work and in general.” They recommended that the DMRC should prepare a training programme in such a way that SCs and STs can be “accommodated in foreign training programmes for their skill exposure and overall developments.” DMRC avoiding social responsibility The Committee noted that under the rehabilitation policy, those impacted by the undertaking of project work by DMRC in Delhi and adjoining states were given compensation. But pointed out “there is no scheme for providing jobs under DMRC for such people who are displaced” and that “DMRC does not maintain records of project affected persons on a caste-wise category basis.”

“The Committee is, therefore, concerned that no specific measures have been initiated by DMRC for the upliftment of SC/ST people at any point of time since its inception. The Committee feels that the DMRC is avoiding its social responsibilities for the upliftment of the downtrodden section of the society,” it said in the report. It recommended that the DMRC must maintain a record of projects wherein SC/ST people are impacted and “DMRC may consider assistance to such SC/ST families including the option to provide employment to them on the priority basis.

“ The government countered that acquisition for Phase-I and Phase-II projects were done by the state government and that rehabilitation and resettlement were done as per policy laid down by Delhi government and that the recommendations “were not in tune with that policy”. Taking a “serious note” of the DMRC’s response, it said that the “Centre should have taken up the matter with” the Delhi government “for change in the policy laid down in this regard to protect the interest of the SCs/STs and other people also who have been displaced due to their land acquired by the Government for DMRC projects.” It said the recommendations must be implemented by DMRC with due seriousness “instead of escaping themselves in the name of policy laid down by” Delhi government.

 




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