Thiruvananthapuram: Even as thousands of candidates who had qualified for jobs in the Kerala Government Service are awaiting posting, the Cabinet on Wednesday decided to go ahead with its early decision to regularise the employment of several temporary staff working for more than 10 years in various departments. This move comes amid a spirited agitation by hundreds of Public Service Commission rank-holders against the delay in government recruitments.
With the assembly elections in the state likely to be announced anytime next week, it was decided to convene a special Cabinet meeting on Monday, February 15, to regularise the services of remaining 2,000 staff.
The Chief Secretary has sent letters to officials concerned of all departments who are entrusted with the task of preparing note based on the Cabinet recommendation to report for duty on Saturday and Sunday to complete the procedural formalities connected with regularisation of staff.
The departments concerned have been asked to prepare and submit the note before 3 pm on Sunday.
The Left Democratic Front Government has taken a political stand to grant permanent employment to temporary and contractual employees disregarding the warning issued by the law and finance department regarding the violation of rules.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who justified the decision to regularise the staff in various departments however steered clear of questions on the total number of people regularised during the present government's tenure.
454 regularised
The Cabinet meeting on Wednesday regularised the services of 454 staff, including 344 Vidyasree volunteers working in single-teacher schools as well as 74 contract workers and 74 other staff of the State Literacy Mission.
The Vidyasree volunteers who have been working on a contract basis for 10 years will be appointed on the basis of their seniority against the existing vacancies or the vacancies arising in future in the General Education Department.
In the Literacy Mission, the government regularised the services of staff including literacy mission coordinator, deputy coordinators, assistant project coordinators, clerk, office assistant and peon.
