Pinarai corrects Balan

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan asserted in the Assembly on Tuesday that appointments to government service could be made only by following established procedure.

The Chief Minister intervened to correct Minister A. K. Balan who said that temporary appointments could be given to tribals with educational qualifications and later confirmed with approval of PSC.

When the Chief Minister pointed out that the appointments could be done only through PSC, Mr. Balan said that what he was proposing was contract appointments.

Mr. Vijayan’s intervention-- made while Mr. Balan was replying to the debate on the demand for grants for Welfare of Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes and Minorities, assumed significance in view of recent controversies over appointments to public sector units.

Finance Minister T. M. Thomas Isaac pointed out that appointments had been made only through PSC after the recent Supreme Court verdict mandating established procedure for appointments to government service.

Mr. Balan had announced a pilot scheme to provide jobs to all qualified tribals in Wayanad district.

The Minister said that about five lakh acres in the State were in illegal possession. These included leases held in breach of lease conditions and excess land held through circumvention of the law.

Mr. Balan said that more than 30000 scheduled castes in the State were landless and 26000 were homeless. The number of homeless tribals were 15000 and landless tribals, 9500. It was possible to make land available to them.

Minister K. T. Jaleel, who responded to issues connected to minority welfare, said that a survey of wakf properties would be conducted to identify alienation of its properties. Some individuals and institutions were alleged to have encroached upon wakf land.

He said that interest free housing loans would be provided to madrassa teachers. A housing scheme would be implemented for widows and a scholarship scheme for students.

The House then passed the demand for grants.