HC sets aside 25% promotion quota for engineers

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka has set aside the April 11, 2011 notification by the State Government providing promotion for filling up 25% of the posts of Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil) from the cadre of Junior Engineer (Civil) as “unconstitutional and contrary to Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India.”

Several Assistant Engineers had challenged the provision before the HC. The Urban Development Department, Karnataka and the Municipal Administration Department were the respondents in the batch of petitions.

Disposing the petitions challenging the modification made to Schedule III to the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Common Recruitment of Officers and Employees) rules, by the Municipal Administration Department, the bench of Justice ES Indiresh in its judgement on July 10 said, “Respondents (authorities) are directed to grant promotion to the post of Assistant Executive Engineer only from the feeder cadre / lower cadre i.e. from the post of Assistant Engineer only.

The respondents are directed to fill up vacancies in the post of Assistant Executive Engineer in terms of observations made above, within eight weeks from the date of receipt of this order.” WP 1575/2023