The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has given jobs to 440 sportspersons, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was speaking after handing over appointment orders for government jobs to 195 sportspersons here on Thursday.
Mr. Vijayan said 83 sportspersons who secured silver and bronze medals in team events at the National Games would be given immediate appointment as lower division clerks (LDCs).
The previous government had said that those who won silver and bronze medals in team events at the 35th National Games held in Kerala would be given jobs in public sector institutions.
However, it did not happen. The present government took a considerate view and decided to create supernumerary posts to give appointments as LDCs.
With jobs for them, the government would have given jobs to record 523 people in the sports quota, the Chief Minister said, adding that appointments from 2010-14 in the sports quota had been made at one go. In the five years before the term of the present government, only 110 appointments had been made, he said. This month, 11 members of the Kerala team that won the Santosh Trophy were given appointments in the General Education Department and 58 in the State police. Steps to provide jobs to more would be considered, he said. Minister for Sports E.P. Jayarajan presided over the function.