HC seeks explanation from power company over reduced ST posts

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh high court on Dec 12 adopted a strict stance on the compliance of reservation (quota) rules and directed the Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL) to file an affidavit. The court instructed CSPDCL to clarify the percentage of reservation applicable for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in matters of appointment and promotion. The court observed that the state govt has not determined a clear reservation policy, nor has any solid data been collected in this regard.The petition was filed by junior engineers Prashant Wilson Panna, Sheetal Sameer Toppo, and others through their counsel Nelson Panna and Ashutosh Mishra. The petitioners challenged a notification dated Aug 22, 2024, which pertains to promotion to the post of assistant engineer.The petition stated that the advertisement invited applications from eligible departmental candidates for the post of assistant engineer-trainee (training and development). The initial advertisement specified 16 vacancies for the Scheduled Tribe category. However, the subsequent promotions were carried out for only 9 posts, which the petitioners contend violates reservation norms.Counsels appearing for the petitioners informed the court that the initial post breakup for the recruitment of assistant engineer (trainee) in Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL) and Chhattisgarh State Power Transmission Company Limited (CSPTCL) comprised 17 posts in the unreserved category, 16 posts for Scheduled Tribe candidates, and no vacancies for Scheduled Caste or Other Backward Class categories. The petitioners, belonging to the affected categories, took the departmental examination, qualified the same, and also appeared in the interview conducted on July 30, 2025.It was further submitted that after the completion of the selection process, the department altered the reservation roster without issuing any formal corrigendum or public notice. According to the petitioners' counsel, the authorities relied on a state govt notification dated Nov 29, 2012, to justify the revision. Under the amended roster, the number of unreserved posts was increased from 17 to 25, while Scheduled Tribe vacancies were reduced sharply from 16 to 9. At the same time, two posts were newly earmarked for Scheduled Caste candidates and one post for the Other Backward Class category, despite there being no such reservations in the original notification.