The State government will take immediate measures to fill reported vacancies before the expiry of Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) rank lists, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Replying to a calling attention motion by P.C. Vishnunath in the Assembly on Thursday, the Chief Minister said the PSC too was working to fill the vacancies. Though PSC examinations could not be conducted in time owing to COVID-19, there had been no delay in reporting of vacancies or issuing advice memos. Moreover, the validity of rank lists that were set to expire between February 5 and August 3 this year had been extended.
An online mechanism had been put in place for reporting vacancies in time. The administrative Vigilance wing was conducting inspections in various offices to ensure there was no delay in reporting vacancies. Moreover, a committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary and comprising Additional Chief Secretaries of Finance and Administrative Reforms departments, had been formed in February for accurate reporting of vacancies. Strict action would be taken against officials found guilty of lapses would be
Mr. Vijayan said that between May 25, 2016, and May 19, 2021, the PSC had published 4,223 rank lists. During the tenure of the United Democratic Front (UDF) government, it was 3,418. During the previous term of the LDF government, 1,61,361 advice memos had been issued. Though under the UDF it was 1,54,384, of them appointments to 4,031 people had been made by the LDF.
Department heads, he said, had also been asked to identify instances when regular promotions were hindered by disputes over seniority or lack of candidates eligible for promotion and report these to a panel led by the Chief Secretary.
Teachers' appointments
Mr. Vijayan also promised appointment of schoolteachers who had received PSC advice memos. The government had taken the stance that they would be appointed once schools, closed owing to the pandemic, reopened. However, with COVID-19 yet to abate, the government was doing a rethink.
