Sri Vijaya Puram, October 8, 2026:
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Andaman and Nicobar State Organising Committee has demanded a five-year upper age relaxation for qualified departmental candidates seeking to compete for earmarked Lower Grade Clerk (LGC) posts under the Amalgamated Clerical Cadre.
In a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, D. Ayyappan, Secretary, CPI(M) A&N State Organising Committee, raised the issue while appreciating the decision of the A&N Administration to initiate the process of filling vacant LGC posts earmarked for departmental candidates with a minimum of three years of service in Group C posts such as MTS and Mazdoor, earlier classified as Group D posts.
According to the CPI(M) statement, the Administration had not appointed any candidate against the earmarked LGC posts for the last seven years. The party said that as a result, qualified departmental candidates did not get an opportunity to participate in the limited departmental recruitment examinations for the earmarked posts.
CPI(M) raises issue of candidates becoming over-aged
Ayyappan stated that many qualified departmental candidates had become over-aged during the intervening period since 2019, while the recruitment examination process was not initiated.
The CPI(M) said that the candidates should not be held responsible for not getting an opportunity to compete in the limited departmental recruitment examinations.
According to the statement, if such candidates are not allowed to compete for the posts now advertised, they may lose their opportunity for promotion or appointment as clerical staff.
Seeks relaxation based on earlier Administration decisions
The CPI(M) Secretary also brought to the Lieutenant Governor's notice that the Administration had, in the recent past, allowed upper age relaxation for over-aged candidates in recruitment examinations conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic.
On this basis, the party has requested the Lieutenant Governor to examine the matter and allow a five-year upper age relaxation for qualified departmental candidates with at least three years of service in MTS, Mazdoor and similar posts, so that they can compete for the earmarked LGC positions.
The demand has been made by the CPI(M) A&N State Organising Committee in its letter to the Lieutenant Governor. The press release does not state that any decision has yet been taken by the Administration on the requested age relaxation.