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Kerala govt's ultimatum to temporary staff

With the indefinite strike by government employees and teachers entering the second week, the Kerala government on Wednesday issued an ultimatum to temporary staff that they would be dismissed from service if they do not report for duty from Thursday.

District collectors and heads of departments have been entrusted with powers to appoint necessary people on temporary basis replacing those who appear in their respective offices with their employment exchange cards, Chief Minister A K Antony told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Daily wage staff, employees appointed temporarily through employment exchanges, contract labourers and staff on probation have been asked to report for duty or face dismissal, he said.

Ruling out any possibility of accepting the demand for restoration of curtailed benefits of the striking employees in the present circumstances, Antony said it has been decided to close the treasury by Thursday evening if the finance minister did not intervene and make available some funds.

The state's overdraft has crossed its permissible limit of Rs 2.15 billion and reached Rs 3 billion on Thursday, he said.

The state has asked the Centre to either permit it to take a loan of Rs 2 billion from the Life Insurance Corporation or sanction the plan share for March in advance, he said.

Meanwhile, the Ernakulam chief magistrate, Ashok Menon, on Thursday rejected the bail applications of three striking government employees, arrested under the provisions of ESMA.

P T Joseph, additional sales tax officer, North Paravur, V A Rajappan, Karukutty check post sales tax clerk and P Solomon, a senior grade accountant of district treasury, had moved the bail applications.

All the three have been remanded to judicial custody.

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