Candidates’ hunger stir enters day 8

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The hunger strike announce by All Kerala LD Clerk Rank Holders’ Association against the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) decision to publish the new LDC rank list for various departments in the state has entered the eight day.
Of the total 56,000 LDC candidates whose names appeared in the previous list published in March 2012, only 10,000 have got appointments. For a majority of candidates, it was their last chance to clear the exam owing to the age limit for eligibility.
While the age limit for general candidates is 36 years, it is 39 for reservation category.
More than 100 LDC candidates over 25 years of age representing each district participated in the hunger strike which began on Thursday. The rank holders have been protesting in front of secretariat demanding extension of the rank list to December 2015.
Five of the protesters – Sakir Hussain, Geetha, Lijil, Reji and Sajan Kumar – staged the strike using coffins. Kollam resident Geetha, a rank holder of the LDC list published in 2012 and Sajan Kumar was taken to a city hospital on Tuesday after they fainted on day six of the protest.
“Other PSC rank lists which were to expire on March 31 have been extended for six months on government request. But the LDC rank list published in March 2012, which is set to expire on March 30, has been excluded from further extension,” said Sakir Hussain, secretary of All Kerala LD Clerk Rank Holders’ Association.
PSC chairman K S Radhakrishnan said the validity of a rank list was one year, which sometimes is extended to three years, and everyone whose name appears in the list may not be appointed. “The new list which was extended for three years will expire on March 30. Appointments and other actions are left to the government. It is not the duty of the PSC,” Radhakrishnan said.