Amid protests, Left govt in Kerala to create over 3000 posts in new depts

Amid the continuingCongress-led protests in Kerala against alleged backdoorappointments and demanding extension of vailidity of certainPSC rank lists, the Left Front government on Wednesday decidedto create 3,051 new posts in variousdepartments.

The state cabinet, on Wednesday, also decided to puton hold regularisation of contractual employees, saying theopposition parties were misleading the youth,a move which theopposition drubbed as ''succumbing to the pressure ofprotesters''.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the stategovernment will regularise those appointments which were puton hold once the government is re-elected.

''The state government has decided to create 3,051 newposts in various departments. With this the permanent postscreated by this government have gone over 30,000.Of the newposts created, 2,027 posts will be in the health department,''Vijayan said at a press meet.

He refuted the oppositionallegation that by puttingon hold regularisation of contractual employees, thegovernment has succumbed to the protests of rank holders andsaid the state government policy is to ''regularise those whohave been employed for more than ten years''.

''The opposition has been misleading the jobaspirants.Those who are being regularised are working for morethan 10-20 years.How can the opposition ask to terminate theseemployees and appoint people without following procedure,''Vijayan asked.

He said there were no lapses on the part of thegovernment in regularisation and the protest was to ''tarnish''the image of the Left government.

Several youths have been protesting in front of thestate secretariat since January 26 seeking extension ofvalidity of their rank list in various Public ServiceCommission (PSC) exams.

Extending support to them, the youth congress onWednesday continued their protests.

The state BJP also joined the protest with its leaderSobha Surendran beginning a 48-hour-long sit-in in solidaritywith the protesting rank holders.

Late in the night, the protesters blocked a governmentvehicle in front of the secretariat and threw chairs insidethe complex.

Leaderof Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, earlier inthe day, alleged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was tellinglies on the number of appointments made by the government.

''The chief minister was telling lies instead of facingthe protests of youngsters for justice.This government haseven appointed a consultancy for backdoor appointments,''Chennithala told reporters at Pathanamthitta.PTI RRT BNBN BN