SC flays Railways' SC,ST policy in alloting high-income contracts

The Supreme Court today slammed Indian Railway's discriminatory policy vis-a-vis allotment of high-income yielding catering contracts at the country's 8,000-odd railway stations saying you cannot keep out a a large section of people in the name of globalization.

The Supreme Court today slammed Indian Railway's discriminatory policy vis-a-vis allotment of high-income yielding catering contracts at the country's 8,000-odd railway stations saying you cannot keep out a a large section of people in the name of globalization.

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"Why is there no reservation for SC, STs when there is such benefits for low-income yielding contracts? They could have inter-set competitions among the SCs even in the high-income contracts," a bench of Justices B N Agrawal, G S Singhvi and Mukundakam Sharma said.

The apex court wondered whether such discriminatory policy was being adopted as the policy makers lacked confidence in the capabilities of the reserved communities.

"In the name of globalisation, you can't keep such a large section (reserved) out. They (SCs,STs) are always at the receiving end," the bench said.

The apex court said SCs,STs cannot be underestimated as some of them had in fact achieved resounding success in various competitive exams for civil services and professional courses by coming from merit category rather than from the reserved quota.