Government take steps to bring normalcy to overcome situation created by Covid second wave

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is determined to bring normalcy to the lives of the people and speed up governance overcoming the inaction created by the Covid crisis in the state. With the test positivity rate falling below 20 per cent for the first time in a month, the precautionary measures have been taken to make life more dynamic.

At the Secretariat, 50 per cent of the staff should be on duty from next Monday. Parliamentary section officers from all departments and from Under Secretary to Secretary should be present on working days from tomorrow as the Assembly is in session. Shops selling textbooks, notebooks, pens and pencils may open with Covid regulations as schools start online class from Tuesday.

The Cabinet also decided to check whether various university examinations can be conducted directly (offline) from June 15. A meeting of the Vice-Chancellors will be called for this. Meanwhile, the final semester exams of the Technical University will be conducted online.

During the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister directed to take steps to expedite the decision on the pending files, expedite the development, public welfare and social security schemes and convene a meeting of the department secretaries to revive the government system.

Fishing ports and fish landing centers have started operations today. Coir mills can operate by following Covid norms. Fertilizer and pesticide shops would be allowed to open once a week, the CM told the media after Covid review meet.

PSC appointments will be evaluated

The Cabinet on February 10 had decided to decadre the higher cadre vacancies and report them as vacancies in the existing cadre of the rank list as the officers have not become eligible for promotion in such a way that maximum appointments can be made from the PSC ranklists. The progress of this will be checked.

The Chief Secretary will check whether the directive to report retirement vacancies is being followed properly. The secretaries shall inform the Chief Secretary of the progress of the preparation of the special rules in respect of appointments not yet left to the PSC.