Port Blair, May 22: The CPI (M) has demanded filling up of all vacant posts in the Electricity Department instead of resorting to contract appointment so as to improve the efficiency of the department besides providing regular job to local youths.  

In a letter sent to the Chief Secretary, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Shri D. Ayyappan, Secretary, CPI (M) drew the attention of the Chief Secretary to the advertisement appeared in The Daily Telegrams today (21.05.2022) inviting applications for filling up certain Group C posts in the Electricity Department on contract basis. 68 posts are sought to be filled up on contract basis against the vacant regular posts. Shri Ayyappan told the Chief Secretary that these posts were reportedly lying vacant in the Electricity Department for quite a long time as the department has failed to fill up the posts on regular basis from among the local unemployed youths. 

He further said that these operational posts were kept vacant by the department at a time when thousands of unemployed local youths were waiting for a job in any government department. CPI (M) was of the view that keeping such a large number of operational posts in a small place like Andaman & Nicobar Islands will definitely affect the functioning of the Electricity Department even though the Electricity Department is targeted to be privatized by the BJP-led central government. There is no justification for filling up these posts on contract basis.

He demanded that action needs to be taken against the officials concerned who kept these operational posts vacant and did not take steps to advertise the direct recruitment posts.  Shri Ayyappan told the Chief Secretary that CPI (M) is of the opinion that all vacant regular posts in any department should be filled up only through regular basis by following the procedure prescribed for such recruitment.