Six years after death of father, Karnataka constable’s son yet to get a job

BENGALURU: The son of a Belagavi head constable who died in service is running from pillar to post for a job granted to him on compassionate ground two years back by the Tourism Department and Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR). Alleging that the authorities concerned did not obey the order of Regional Commissioner who recommended giving him a Group ‘C’ job, Shashank Suresh Bulbule, son of late head constable Suresh Bulbule, attached to APMC Police Station in Belagavi, has approached the Karnataka Lokayukta seeking his intervention. In his complaint, Bulbule explained the ordeal he was facing because of the insensitivity of the authorities. The reason given for delaying his job was that Bulbule studied Marathi as first language in SSLC and hence he had to clear the Kannada language test to be conducted by the department concerned. But, the authorities have been dragging their feet over conducting the test till date. Bulbule contended that a job on compassionate grounds has to be given within three months of the death, but in his case, even almost six years after his father’s death at the age of 51 due to ill health on November 11, 2012, there was no sign of the job. The Tourism Department had raised objection over the medium of instruction seven months after the Regional Commissioner ordered to give Bulbule the job on July 29, 2016. The authorities behaved rudely with him and his mother suffered from heart ailments on some occasions. He was forced to knock the doors of Lokayukta, he added. When Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty sought reply, the Tourism Department submitted that Bulbule had completed SSLC with Marathi as first language. Therefore, appointment cannot be given unless he passed the Kannada examination being conducted by them. He had passed Kannada as third language in the SSLC. The Tourism Department also stated that it had requested the DPAR to prescribe the syllabus to conduct the test so as to issue appointment order to Bulbule, if he cleared the test. The DPAR asserted the same, citing the Karnataka Civil Service (Appointment of Compassionate Grounds) Rules. But no steps were taken. “..Such appointments shall have to be ordered by the appointing authority without lapse of time as they are aimed at providing financial security and well being of the family which has lost its breadwinner. The said principle had also been iterated by the Supreme Court. Therefore, time-bound action from the DPAR on the letter by Tourism Department is to be ascertained by calling upon it to submit action taken report,” Lokayukta said in his order. “The delay in issuing appointment order would result in loss of financial benefit to the complainant.” In view of the delay, Lokayukta Justice Shetty has directed the Director of Tourism and Principal Secretary, DPAR, to take immediate steps to comply with all the formalities/procedures required by holding Kannada language test. “If the steps are not taken, the duo officials are directed to be present in person on June 19,” Justice Shetty ordered. Source: the Indian Express