Now, Kerala University moves to regularize contract staff

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of Calicut University’s controversial move to regularize a number of daily-wage staff in various posts, Kerala University is planning to go the same way. The university syndicate has appointed a committee to look into the possibility of regularizing a sizeable number of contract staff.
The university syndicate, which met last week, set up a subcommittee chaired by staff committee convener to study the proposal and submit a report in this regard.The syndicate, said sources, discussed the subject as out of agenda. The Calicut University syndicate had recently decided to regularize the appointment of people who completed 10 years of service on contract/daily-wage basis. Kerala University syndicate too has decided to study the requests for regularizing a number of people working in various roles for the last 10 years. The regularization mooted is for persons working as computer programmers, technical staff, security personnel and drivers, sources said.
Meanwhile, Kerala high court recently stayed Calicut University’s decision to regularize the appointment of daily-wage staff. The university syndicate took the regularization move by citing humane reasons. However, there are widespread criticisms that syndicate members, having allegiance to the ruling CPM, were trying to recruit persons of their political choice.