Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday asked Law Minister A.K. Balan to hold talks with the striking PSC rank holders. The decision comes even as the DYFI leadership has opened negotiations with the agitators.
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Mr. Balan is likely to meet the protesters on Sunday as the government attempts to resolve the issue ahead of the Assembly elections polls in April.
Moreover, the government did not want the youth to “play into the hands of the opposition” as the Congress and BJP have expressed solidarity with strikers.
Both parties have held demonstrations across the State accusing the government of backdoor appointments. Many of the protests have led to clashes with the police leading to injuries on both sides.
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Youth Congress leaders are on an indefinite fast at the venue of the PSC rank holders agitation. Congress MLA Shafi Parambil said the government had lied that there was no legal provision to revive the expired Civil Police Officer’s rank list. Two SFI leaders had discredited the rank list and precipitated its expiry by cheating in the PSC test. The slew of backdoor appointments had denied educated youth their chance for government employment.
On Wednesday, the cabinet announced the creation of posts above the requisite number in the Sports and Youth Affairs Department to employ 82 athletes who had won gold, silver and bronze medals for Kerala in the National Games.
It also generated supernumerary posts to accommodate striking athletes without waiting for vacancies. The government had also decided to raise a new police batallion to create 100 new CPO vacancies.