Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday cautioned PSC rankers against falling prey to the machinations of elements that sought to make political capital out of their anguish for postings.
He slammed former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for “pushing the lie” that the Congress would revive expired PSC rank lists if voted to power. Mr. Chandy had also promised employment for all who figured on PSC rank lists.
Mr. Chandy, more than anybody knew, the depth of the falsity, Mr. Vijayan said.
He challenged Mr. Chandy to point out one rule that would enable any government to resurrect obsolete PSC rank lists. For every vacancy, five persons would figure on the PSC list. Not all persons would receive an advice memo, he said.
The Congress election campaign had floundered. People had rejected its recriminatory propaganda against the LDF government. The party now sensed a political opportunity in the PSC ranker holders’ strike to put the government on the backfoot and steady its flailing electioneering, Mr. Vijayan said.
Mr. Chandy had dashed the hopes of the youth in 2011 by barring those with a degree from applying for last grade government jobs. In 2002, he had chaired a UDF meeting that slashed government jobs and imposed the infamous recruitment ban, Mr. Vijayan recalled.
Mr. Chandy's government had in 2014 reduced the duration of the rank list for uniformed services from three years to one. His government rarely reported vacancies to the PSC. Some youths had protested themselves in front of Mr. Chandy. Ideally, Mr. Chandy should have knelt in front of them in repentance for betraying their interests, the Chief Minister said.
In contrast, the LDF had appointed 1,57,911 persons via the PSC. It has extended the term of the last grade employees rank list till August so rankers could benefit from vacancies arising from retirement in April and May, he said.
Mr. Vijayan did not indicate that the government would engage protesters in talks. He said the youth were the government’s highest priority. The administration was acutely aware of their aspirations. It saw unemployment as the State's biggest developmental challenge and would address it.
The regularisation of contract employees with more than 10 years of service would not whittle down PSC ranker holders’ employment possibilities as made out by the Opposition, he said.
