SERIOUS IRREGULARITIES IN PROMOTION ROSTER OF MULTIPURPOSE HEALTH WORKERS (MALE) COME TO LIGHT
Face2News/Chandigarh
Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission Chairman Jasvir Singh Garhi has ordered the personal appearance of Roster Checking Team No. 22 of the Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Department on April 29 at the Commission’s office, following a complaint related to the Multipurpose Health Worker (Male) cadre under the Health and Family Welfare Department.
Acting on the complaint, the Commission had earlier sought the roster register and related records of promotions from Multipurpose Health Worker (Male) to Multipurpose Health Supervisor (Male) over the past 15 years, duly verified by the roster checking team. The department had submitted records pertaining to the last 12 years on November 27, 2025, after obtaining clearance from the Welfare Department’s Roster Checking Team No. 22 on November 21, 2025.
Preliminary scrutiny of the submitted record has revealed glaring violations of the reservation policy. Upon detailed examination by roster experts, it was found that one physically challenged employee and eight general category employees had been wrongly shown as Scheduled Caste employees. Besides this, records of 19 general category employees who were promoted during the said period were found missing.
He informed that the examination also highlighted that out of 374 promotions, 75 posts were earmarked under the 20 percent reservation quota for Scheduled Castes. However, 69 of these reserved points were occupied by general category employees, indicating a grave breach of reservation norms.
Chairman Garhi, while reviewing the records, observed that there has been a blatant violation of the 20 percent reservation policy for Scheduled Castes in promotions, along with non-compliance of the principle of seniority-cum-merit. He further noted that directions issued by the Hon’ble courts from time to time, official communications of the Welfare Department and provisions of the Reservation Acts of 2006 and 2018 have also been disregarded.
Taking serious note of these discrepancies, the Chairman has summoned Vishwa Nath and Resham Singh (both Superintendent) and Gagandeep Kaur Sandhu (Senior Assistant) from the Roster Checking Team No. 22 and Toshpinder Singh (Superintendent) from the Health Department to appear in person before the Commission. The Director of the Health Department has also been directed to remain present.
Issuing a stern warning, Chairman Garhi said that any infringement of constitutional rights in Punjab government departments will not be tolerated. He asserted that those responsible for depriving Scheduled Caste employees of their rightful benefits will face strict action under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and in accordance with the instructions issued by the Principal Secretary, Punjab, dated July 9, 2009.
He further informed that although directions had earlier been issued to the Director, Welfare Department, during the previous Full Commission meeting to organise updated legal workshops for roster register committees, the compliance of these directions will also be reviewed.
