CM urges PSC to publish rank lists immediately

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A special cabinet meeting held on Friday expressed satisfaction that the PSC had finally toed the government line by extending the rank list duration by four months, but demanded the PSC to get its act together ‘at the earliest.’ Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, at the post-cabinet briefing, suggested that the PSC take immediate steps to publish rank lists and advise the government.“The government wish to bring three things to the PSC’s notice. Firstly, this year, from April 1 to November 30, the government had reported 41,260 vacancies to the PSC. But the government received advice regarding 19,109 candidates only. If rank lists (regarding the remaining vacancies) exist, we should be advised at the earliest. If there are no lists, steps should be taken to prepare them at the earliest and advise the government,” he said. Secondly, since the tenure of nearly 500 rank lists would lapse on April 30, the PSC should take steps to prepare fresh lists at the earliest, Chandy said. “The government does not intend to make backdoor appointments. We would prefer to go via the proper channels,” he said. Thirdly, the government has demanded the PSC to prepare lists for filling vacancies set apart for the disabled. As many as 470 vacancies were reported to the PSC post-2005. The Chief Minister said further delay in publishing the lists for this category of candidates would be tantamount to insulting the society.The PSC had sat on repeated government requests to extend the list, but had relented only on Friday evening after a third request was placed before it. As per an earlier schedule, the term of the existing rank lists would have ended on December 31, Saturday. The new deadline is April 30, 2012. And in a deft rejoinder to the PSC’s passing a resolution against the government, Chandy said he, as Chief Minister, had merely expressed the anguish of the unemployed and the administrative problems that such a situation will entail for the government. “I spoke as the representative of a government that has commitments to the public,” he said.