Bengaluru: The State Government yesterday issued an order restoring the cadre and pay scale of thousands of SC/STs employees who were demoted following a February 2017 Supreme Court (SC) judgement that struck down reservation in promotions.

The order issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) stated that no fresh demotions will be effected for employees from their current positions. However, the order is subject to the outcome of cases related to reservation in promotion before the Supreme Court.

Yesterday’s order has been issued to implement the Karnataka extension of consequential seniority to government servants promoted on the basis of Reservation Act, 2017. The Law was passed by the then Siddharamaiah government in 2017 to circumvent the Apex Court judgement and protect the consequential seniority accorded to SC/ST employees since April 1978. The Feb. 2017 SC Judgement had resulted in demotions of over 3,700 employees, promotions of more than 5,000 employees and alteration in the seniority of nearly 65,000 employees. The government on Jan. 30,2019 decided to implement the Law, even as the matter was before the Supreme Court. Subsequent to Wednesday’s order, SC/ST employees will return to their cadre and pay-scale and will be given an equivalent posting based on availability.