‘PSC rank lists to be extended by six months; Three new courts to expedite drug cases’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V D Satheesan said the cabinet had recommended extending the validity of PSC rank lists by another six months. The extension has been recommended for rank lists for various teaching posts that are set to expire in September, October and November.

The chief minister said that 18 rank lists for teachers ranging from primary school to HSST posts are being considered. There was a delay in identifying vacancies and reporting them to the PSC due to procedures related to census duties, BLO responsibilities and inter-district transfers. The extension has been proposed after realizing that these delays had significantly reduced candidates’ opportunities for appointment, he said.

Meanwhile, the cabinet has decided to set up three new NTPC courts in the state amid intensified inspections related to Operation Thoofan. As a large number of drug-related cases are pending in the state, the new courts will be established in the judicial districts of Palakkad, Manjeri and Thrissur. Courts were earlier set up in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam, but only eight people had been appointed on a permanent basis. The number will now be raised to 11. Although this decision will impose a significant financial burden on the state, it has been taken to facilitate the speedy disposal of drug-related cases, said the chief minister.