Candidates surprised to find no vacancies after joining Government job: Secretariat with strange instruction

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seven candidates who joined the post of Legal Assistant with an appointment order were told that there is no vacancy. The Law Department of the Secretariat has given a strange instruction to come back after six months. There will be no salary till then. The allegation is that this is a serious error, as service is considered to have commenced from the time of joining. Astonished by the department's action, the candidates are preparing to approach the Administrative Tribunal for justice.

The department's unusual action came on November 1, as soon as candidates joined the jobs they got through PSC, with the appointment order issued by the General Administration Department. The question is how the vacancy vanishes after the appointment order is issued as per the vacancy reported to the PSC. However, the department's explanation is that the vacancies were filled through redeployment after they were reported and that it was an administrative error in informing the PSC.

The PSC issued a notification for the post of Secretariat Legal Assistant in 2020. The exam was conducted in 2021 and the rank list was published. This unfortunate situation is for seven candidates from that rank list. The Law Department has said it will inform them after six months when a vacancy occurs.

Salary cannot be denied

The reply of the Law Department that there is no vacancy after the candidates have submitted their joining report in writing to join the service is a serious mistake. Once candidates have joined, their salary cannot be denied unless there are other reasons. Therefore, this will be questioned legally. There is also a demand for an investigation.