Thiruvananthapuram: A middle-aged man who climbed the top of a tree in front of the Government Secretariat here on Wednesday threatening to commit suicide remained there for over 10 hours. He had climbed the tree at around 9.30 a.m.
Police said Christopher 42, of Venkode, near Vattappara was one of the members of the Kerala State Transport Drivers Rank Holders Association, which was staging a dharna in front of the secretariat in support of the demand for early appointment in the post of reserve conductor. In 2015, a total of 718 vacancies have been reported . However, no appointments have been made till date.
Christopher climbed down at around 8 05 pm after the KSRTC Executive Director, K M Sreekumar, arrived on the spot and talked with the protesters. Sreekumar promised the protesters that the date of expiry of the list would be extended to six months and the issue would be addressed within a month.
The rank list to the post was to expire in about two month’s time. As many as 23,000 candidates who have been waiting for this post are virtually left in the lurch as the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) has issued a fresh notification for the post.
This was for the second time that Christopher was making such a suicide threat. Earlier on January 22, 2015 also he made a similar threat. He had then come down after an assurance that the District Collector Biju Prabhakar would take steps for talks with the KSRTC authorities. The Cantonment police have registered a case of attempt to suicide against Christopher.
On January 16, Pathanamthitta native Vimalraj, 40, who had been staging a stir in front of the Secretariat over the previous two weeks made a suicide threat by climbing the tree and demanding government assistance for the self-employment scheme.
Earlier, in September 2015 three activists of the Chengara land struggle movement for title deeds had also made such a suicide attempt atop the tree while protesting before the Secretariat.
