43 posts created in govt agencies

Thiruvananthapuram: The extreme financial crisis and the recommendation for streamlining the government’s employee strength by a high-level committee does not seem to have deterred the government to create newer posts.
The cabinet on Wednesday decided to create 25 permanent posts and 18 temporary posts in various government bodies. These include 16 posts in Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Ltd (KSITL), six in Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON) and three posts in Kerala Institute of Local Governance (KILA). The cabinet also decided to set up 18 temporary posts in KSITL. In addition, the cabinet also decided to regularize the temporary appointments of 46 employees in taluk and district library councils.
In the last three months, government had created 8,229 posts in health department, including 2,948 temporary posts under the National Health Mission, though the posts were cited as mandatory for fighting Covid-19 pandemic. While the cabinet is on post-creation-spree, a high-level committee appointed by the cabinet has asked the government to do away with the exercise.
An interim report prepared by the team led by Centre for Development Studies director Sunil Mani, appointed by the government to rationalize revenue expenditure in the state, had made several recommendations including total freeze on new posts in the government. The state’s combined liabilities of salaries, pensions, and interest payments would touch Rs 73,845 crore in the ongoing financial year. As per the report, 29% of state’s increase in revenue expenditure from 2011-12 to 2018-19 was through salary component.
The report recommended that no new posts should be created in the government or aided institutions for next two years. The committee had also recommended that no new temporary posts should be created and existing ones need not be regularized.