One section of job aspirants withdraw strike in Kerala

The ongoing indefinite stir by a section of job aspirants in front of the Kerala government secretariat has been called off following favourable assurance by the government.

Candidates who cleared the recruitment tests of Kerala Public Service Commission to the post of last grade servants and awaiting postings withdrew their stir following a meeting with Kerala Law Minister A K Balan. However, since the elections were already announced, the government would require the Election Commission's nod as Assembly elections were declared in the state.

Representatives of the candidates said that the minister assured that more vacancies would be created by reducing the duty hours of the existing last grade servants. The government will seek the Election Commission's nod for this.

Read | Kerala Assembly polls crucial for political future of all fronts

Meanwhile, the government is yet to initiate talks with candidates who cleared the civil police officer's tests as the validity of the rank lists already expired. The candidates alleged that owing to delay in reporting vacancies by the government most of them did not get placement.

Even as the job aspirants were on stir for the past many weeks, the law minister was deputed for holding talks with the job aspirants on stir by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday, the day on which elections were notified. Hence the opposition Congress and BJP alleged that it was just a gimmick fearing backlash in the elections.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the government was trying to save its face by giving assurances to the candidates after the election was declared. The government had enough time before the declaration of the election to hold talks and give assurances. But they did not do that despite the repeated plea of the candidates. Even now there was no assurance to withdraw the strike.

Meanwhile, an indefinite hunger strike by three Youth Congress workers in support of the job aspirants was also called off. Youth Congress president Shafi Parambil said that a discussion between representatives of the job aspirants and leadership of Congress-led UDF would be initiated and definite assurances would be given.