Police recruitment: Quota for Muslims ignored

March 28, 2008
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, March 27: The police department has ignored the four per cent quota for Muslims under BC-E category in the ongoing recruitment of 16,700 police constables.
In the notification issued by the Home department, there was no mention of reservations for Muslims under BC-E category. The notification mentioned all other reserved categories including backward classes.
The State government has been recruiting candidates under BC-E category even though the AP High Court is seized of the Muslim quota issue. Orders were issued to Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission to reserve four per cent of jobs for Muslims since the case in the High Court pertained to reservations in educational institutions and not jobs in government services.
In earlier two notifications issued by the police department, it did refer to reservations under BC-E category. "Muslims will lose more than 700 jobs if the police department did not amend the job notification and come out with a fresh one," says Syed Naseer Ahmed, convener of Muslim Educational Rights Committee.
Recruitment has already been made by Transco and Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy himself distributed the appointment letters to the selected Muslim candidates. This is the third time that the police department had ignored the reservations for Muslims.
Minorities Welfare Minister Muhammad Ali Shabber said instructions had been given to the Home department to reserve four per cent of jobs. "We have sorted out the issue. We have held a meeting with the Home Minister and senior officials from the police
department. A fresh notification will be issued," he clarified.

Note: Following publication of this report, the government woke up and ordered that four per cent quota be given to Muslims. A fresh notification was issued. The police department rectified its mistake and included "E" category in all its subsequent advertisements for recruitment.