By IANS
New Delhi : The recruitment of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates in the Indian Railways plunged between 2001 and 2004 when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ruled India, a parliamentary panel says.
A 30-member Standing Committee on the welfare of Dalits and tribals, in its 28th report, said that the recruitment particularly fell dramatically in Southern Railway.
This fares poorly compared to recruitment during the earlier regime of the United Front government and the present United Progressive Alliance government.
The parliamentary report was placed in parliament this week.
According to the committee, the NDA government defaulted even on the promotion of Dalit and tribal railway employees.
“There has been a huge shortfall in the promotion of SC/ST candidates every year 2001 to 2005,” it said.
The “position improved after a special promotion drive was undertaken to clear the shortfall in promotional categories”, it added.
Heading the Standing Committee was Ratilal Varma, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Gujarat. It included former central tribal welfare minister Jual Oram.