Eye on polls,Centre to fill SC,ST,OBC posts

The government had launched a special recruitment drive in 2008 to fill up backlog of reserved vacancies of SCs,STs and OBCs. The drive was relaunched earlier this year since its progress was not satisfactory.

Sources said the Cabinet reviewed its progress on Wednesday as official figures showed that only 35 per cent of the 46,000 vacancies in direct recruitment category has so far been filled up.

As far as promotion quota is concerned,only 10,062 of the nearly 30,000 posts have been filled. Out of the 76,000 vacancies,only 41.23 per cent have been filled so far,sources said. A Cabinet note circulated earlier had pointed to this dismal success rate in filling the vacancies.

The Cabinet also cleared a proposal by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs for setting up a Pension and Life Insurance Fund for Indian workers in emigration check required countries.

The Cabinet also sanctioned Rs 19,000 crore for the Udhampur-Baramulla rail project to connect the Valley with Jammu,sources said.

The cabinet approved extension of an ex-servicemen contributory health scheme to Nepal domiciled Gorkhas. Over a lakh former Gorkha soldiers reside in Nepal. They and their estimated 2.17 lakh dependents would now get the benefit of the health scheme.