Mumbai News: Denied Promotion Despite 7 Degrees, BMC Worker Moves Bombay High Court

Despite earning seven academic degrees, including a PhD, while working night shifts as a motor loader with the BMC’s Solid Waste Management Department, Sunil Yadav has not received a single promotion in over 17 years of service. Frustrated by official inaction and opaque recruitment processes, Yadav has now approached the Bombay High Court seeking long-overdue recognition of his qualifications and a promotion to the post of Community Development Officer (CDO).

A member of the Scheduled Caste Mehtar community, 43-year-old Yadav joined the BMC in 2005 as a safai karmachari and became permanent in 2007. Determined to break the cycle of poverty and social exclusion, he pursued his education alongside gruelling night shifts. Over the years, he earned a B.Com, BA in Journalism, MA in Globalisation and Labour, Master of Social Work, MPhil, and PhD from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

“In order to be able to attend his classes the Petitioner worked continuously during the night shift from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am,” Yadav states in his petition.

In February 2022, the Assistant Commissioner submitted a proposal recommending Yadav’s promotion to the post of CDO, citing his educational credentials. However, the file has remained pending without explanation. A subsequent recruitment process, initiated via advertisement dated February 18, 2022 for ten CDO posts, was allegedly conducted in “complete secrecy,” with no disclosure of selection criteria or status of nominations.

Yadav has also questioned the denial of a previous opportunity for promotion to Labour Officer, despite applying and meeting all requirements back in 2014. He contends that the BMC’s failure to act on the February 2022 proposal is a violation of a Government Resolution dated October 1, 2003, which supports promotion based on academic merit.

Yadav’s petition seeks direction to the BMC to promote him, disclose recruitment details, and explain the prolonged delay. 

Earlier, the BMC had informed the HC that “the decision has already been taken” on his application and sought time to reply to the petitions. The HC has asked the civic body to inform about the decision on the next date of hearing.