Kozhikode promotion row: Error fixed, but 5 women PSC recruits bear the brunt of sudden job loss

Kozhikode, Kerala: A major row has surfaced in the district revenue establishment after five female clerk-typists at the Kozhikode collectorate were terminated from government service following an administrative reshuffle.

The affected employees, who secured their appointments through the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) two and a half years ago, learnt of their dismissal late on a holiday reportedly through WhatsApp messages containing the official order. The staff had taken up these positions after relinquishing other competitive appointment opportunities, with some even earning official commendations during election duty. Beside the sudden loss of livelihood, the dismissal strips them of their accumulated seniority, leaving them dependent on fresh advice memos from the commission to secure any future posting.

Irregular promotions trigger tribunal action

The abrupt job losses are the consequence of an administrative correction ordered by the Kerala Administrative Tribunal. The dispute dates back to 2024, when previous administrative leadership granted category-change promotions to five typists as clerks. Under statutory service rules, such transfers require five years of service and formal completion of probation, alongside an option exercised within six months of joining. Instead, the then officials waived the mandatory service requirements, promoting typists who had served for merely six months.

The resulting vacancies in the typist cadre were subsequently reported to the commission, leading to the recruitment of the five women who have now been dismissed. Job aspirants on the Lower Division Clerk (LDC) rank list, whose appointment prospects were bypassed by the irregular promotions, waged protests and a two-and-a-half-year legal battle. Following the tribunal’s ruling in favour of the rank-holders, Kozhikode District Collector M.S. Madhavikutty revoked the promotions and demoted the promoted typists to their entry posts, enabling genuine clerk vacancies to be reported to the commission.

Official stance and pleas for intervention

The district administration maintained that complying with the tribunal ruling was legally mandatory, noting that reverting the earlier promotions automatically eliminated the consequential vacancies. While the affected employees face the fallout of errors committed by past officials, the district authorities have forwarded a report to the state government recommending compassionate administrative intervention to safeguard their employment.