THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The PSC job aspirants protesting in front of the Secretariat have threatened to launch an indefinite fast from Monday evening if the government does not issue a favourable order by then.
“We were informed that Law Minister A K Balan reportedly told a news channel that the government will come out with an order by Monday. If it doesn’t, we will kick off our indefinite fast in front of the Secretariat,” Laya Rajesh, a representative of aspirants in the Last Grade Servants PSC rank list, told TNIE.
The protesting job-seekers have been demanding, among other things, more appointments of last grade servants in universities, creation of vacancies in higher secondary schools and fixing night watchman’s duty time to eight hours so that more vacancies can be created instead of asking them to work double duty. On Saturday, additional chief secretary T K Jose and ADGP (headquarters) Manoj Abraham had held talks with the protesters.
During the two-hour discussion, the protesters sought written assurance that the government would accept their demands. The two officials told the protesters that their demands were genuine and said they will apprise the government of the same.
Meanwhile, the indefinite fast launched by the Youth Congress (YC) state leaders in front of the Secretariat in solidarity with the protesting rank-holders and against alleged backdoor appointments by the government completed a week on Sunday. The decision by the YC leaders to launch an indefinite fast last Sunday had taken the rank-holders by surprise.
Though Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy asked YC state president and vice-president, MLAs Shafi Parambil and K S Sabarinadhan, respectively, to seek medical help, they decided to continue the fast. On Sunday, Chennithala visited the protesting MLAs and the rank-holders.
It should be recalled that Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi will be arriving in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday from Wayanad. The Congress is also keen on cashing in on the favourable political situation prompting the YC leaders to prolong the indefinite fast despite their failing health.