Port Blair, Dec. 8: The CPI (M) has demanded for a Special Drive to fill up backlog vacancies of ST reserved posts in various departments under the Andaman & Nicobar Administration. In a letter sent to the Lt. Governor, A & N Islands, Shri D. Ayyappan, Secretary, CPI (M) A & N State Organising Committee said that nearly one thousand posts of various categories in different departments under the A&N Administration are lying vacant for quite a long time.  Shri Ayyappan stated in his letter that no effort has been made by the Administration to fill up these backlog vacancies reserved for ST candidates while hundreds of unemployed Nicobarese youths are waiting for a job.  He further stated that since the tribal reserved posts do not attract the ban on filling up of vacant posts, the Administration should have taken proper steps to fill up these vacancies.

    Shri Ayyappan further said that unlike other parts of the territory, there is no chance for any self-employment or private job in the Nicobar group of islands and the educated tribal youths completely depend on government job. He informed the Lt. Governor that CPI (M) is of the view that only as a Special Recruitment Drive in a centralized manner through the Recruitment & Employment Cell of the Secretariat these backlog vacancies reserved for tribals can be filled up as the normal recruitment process will delay filling up these reserved posts.  Shri Ayyappan requested the Lt. Governor to take immediate steps to fill up the backlog vacancies reserved for ST candidates through Special Recruitment Drive considering the growing number of unemployment among the tribal candidates in these islands.