The state government claims this is being done as part of implementing Sachar Committee’s recommendations.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Rajasthan has sought details of Muslim employees working in health department across the state.
The order, issued by joint director of the health department and circulated on November 30, 2017, by the directorate of medical health and family planning, Jaipur, sought information of Muslim employees working in health department from all 33 districts, including at the sub-district level.
All chief medical health officers (CMHO) in the state have been asked to give a head count of Muslim employees working in the state’s health centres at different posts. Doctors are exempt.
According to a report in the Indian Express, the state government claims the order was issued as part of its implementation of the Sachar Committee’s recommendations. Commissioned in 2005 by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Sachar Committee prepared a detailed report on the socio-economic status of Muslims across the country. The 403-page report showed the low educational and economic status of Muslims besides the community’s poor representation in government and other public services.
Bharatpur’s CMHO Gopal Ram told the Times of India, “I have directed my deputy to compile the list and send it to the health department by December 15.”
The order says that the information of Muslim employees will be sent to the central government.
B.L. Saini, joint director, administration, of the state directorate, told the Indian Express, “The government of India had recently asked every state to collect details of employees from the minority community so that welfare schemes, as per the Sachar Committee’s recommendations, can be implemented”.
Along with the circular, a proforma is enclosed which has to be filled by each Muslim employee. Apart from name and other details, information about family and date of retirement are among the questions in the proforma.
The order has raised concerns of racial profiling among the state’s Muslim employees. “I have been working in the department for six years and I have never been asked to fill a proforma, which categorically talks about my religion, work profile, family, date of joining and retirement. Earlier I was reluctant to fill the form but eventually I was given repeated reminders to fill the form,” a health department employee in Pratapgarh told Deccan Herald.