THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The more things change the more they stay the same! In spite of its focus on e-governance and digitalisation, the state government still has close to 6,000 typist posts in various departments. And with no typewriters in use in most of its departments, these employees are being redeployed to non-typist jobs. Curiously, the recruitment for typists continues unabated.
The personnel and administrative (P&A) reforms department, which carried out a study into redefining the nature of the job and responsibilities of typists, recommended that the government rename the post to ‘automation assistant’.
The study was carried out after the All Kerala Typists and Stenographers Association approached the government with a petition saying that these employees should not be deputed to non-typist roles.
Going by the study, as many as 5,870 typist posts exist in 84 departments. Revenue tops the list with 794 posts followed by general education (372). The other departments with the most typists include: irrigation (358), PWD (356), police (307), health (224), rural development (208), GST (207), agricultural development (179), technical education (156), engineering (149), and cooperatives (136).
Even now candidates with SSLC and KGTE higher/lower qualifications are being recruited to entry-level lower division typist jobs through the PSC route. They receive promotions as UD typist, senior-grade typists, selection-grade typists, and fair-copy superintendents.
In an order issued in 1968, it was stipulated that Malayalam typists should be able to type 20 pages, each with at least 28 lines, a day. English typists were required to produce 704 lines, each containing a minimum of 10 words. The typist position was last revamped over 40 years ago, in 1981.
‘Inter-department deployment of typists should be implemented’
In its study report, the P&A department further noted that for effective administrative work it is essential to maintain the post of typist. “Various departments are yet to cultivate an electronic-working atmosphere.
In this situation, the recommendation to depute typists for clerical jobs is justifiable... more time will be needed to fully move to an e-environment. To use the work time of typists more effectively inter-departmental deployment of these employees should be implemented,” the report said.
It recommended that computer-literate typists be deputed for jobs related to IT-enabled services.
“In departments where e-office has not been implemented, duties reserved for the post of typist should be continued,” the report observed.