Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara on Friday, 28 August announced that notifications are being issued to fill 72,000 vacant government posts across various state departments, with separate discussions underway to clear backlog vacancies. He made the announcement while inaugurating the 6th State-Level 'Aikyata Samavesha' organised by the Karnataka State Government SC/ST Employees' Coordination Committee at Shringar Palace, Palace Grounds, Bengaluru.

Key Announcements

Parameshwara, who also holds charge of the Revenue and Sports portfolios, said he would take up the matter of backlog vacancies with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. He noted that backlog posts had previously been filled through sustained efforts during the tenure of former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, signalling that a similar push is now being planned.

On the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), Parameshwara said Chief Minister Shivakumar has agreed in principle to its implementation and that it would be rolled out in the coming days — a commitment that is likely to resonate with the state's large workforce of government employees.

Land Allotment for SC/ST Coordination Committee

Responding to a request from the Coordination Committee for land to support its activities, Parameshwara said that once suitable land is identified by the committee, Social Welfare Minister K.H. Muniyappa and he would facilitate its allotment. The assurance was welcomed by attendees at the convention.

Call for Unity Among SC/ST Employees

Addressing the gathering of approximately 1.20 lakh SC/ST government employees, Parameshwara urged them to move beyond symbolic shows of strength. 'The organisation of government SC/ST employees must become stronger and its voice must reach those who take decisions,' he said. He stressed that collective participation in such conventions was essential for the community's demands to carry real weight with policymakers.

He also invoked the legacy of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, arguing that its significance must be understood beyond securing government employment through reservation. Citing incidents of caste discrimination — including purification rituals performed at a venue where Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge had participated — he called for deeper social transformation. He also recalled a similar incident faced by former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram after he inaugurated a statue at Banaras Hindu University.

Broader Social Responsibility

Parameshwara urged each attendee to take a personal pledge to educate and transform at least four people as part of a broader effort to dismantle the caste system. He noted that daily-wage labourers in rural areas continue to live in huts without permanent homes, arguing that economic security through reservation has not yet translated into full social equality.

The event was attended by Venerable Manorakkhita Bhanteji of Chethavana Vihara, Kollegal; Social Welfare Minister K.H. Muniyappa; Kollegal MLA A.R. Krishnamurthy; Jaglur MLA B. Devendrappa; former minister H. Anjaneya; C. Narendra, Chairman of the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Development Corporation; and D. Shivashankar, President of the Karnataka State Government SC/ST Employees' Coordination Committee, among others. With the state's recruitment machinery now in motion, the coming weeks will test whether the government's assurances translate into verified appointments.