The Reservation in Promotion case in Tripura, which has been pending in the Supreme Court for almost a decade, has taken a troubling turn as allegations of corruption and misuse of funds have surfaced. The case, initially filed in 2005 by a group of PWD Executive Engineers in Tripura High Court, challenged promotions that were allegedly made in violation of constitutional provisions. Over the years, the case has expanded into multiple petitions, including the case of Jayanta Chakraborty vs. State of Tripura, resulting in a status quo order from the Supreme Court in 2015. However, despite the involvement of numerous judicial benches, a final verdict has yet to be reached.
Government employees from Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, and General categories have accused senior government officers and employee association leaders of using the case as a means to collect large sums of money from employees under the guise of legal expenses. These funds, which are said to amount to crores of rupees, have allegedly been collected for advocate fees and legal proceedings in the Supreme Court. Despite the significant financial contributions from employees, there has been no indication of any efforts to expedite the resolution of the case.
In addition, the Tripura Government has continued to make ad hoc promotions in violation of the status quo order and without completing the necessary data collection as per the Supreme Court’s Nagaraj judgment. These promotions do not count towards seniority or pension benefits, leaving many employees, particularly retirees post-2005, in a state of legal and financial uncertainty.
Despite the implications for the promotion prospects and livelihoods of officers and employees, there has been a lack of action from the government or employee associations to address these issues. The situation has raised concerns among employees, who feel that they have been taken advantage of in a fundraising scheme rather than receiving genuine legal representation. The need for transparency, accountability, and a resolution to the Reservation in Promotion case in Tripura has become increasingly urgent as the allegations of corruption continue to come to light.
