Kottayam (Kerala) | Kerala Congress (Mani) chief Jose K Mani has expressed hope for an early resolution to the ongoing dispute over the appointment of teachers in aided schools in the state.

The standoff between the Left government in the state and church managements centers around filling vacancies reserved for differently-abled candidates.

Mani said the legal issues arising from a recent Supreme Court order with regard to such appointments would be discussed during a meeting scheduled with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday.

Speaking to reporters here on Saturday evening, he said the KC (M) would take necessary initiative if further discussions are required between the church and the government.

The KC (M) chairman's statements came after General Education Minister V Sivankutty met Archbishop Thomas Tharayil of the Syro-Malabar Changanassery Archdiocese in the district on Friday amidst a raging row over this.

Mani, who also attended the meeting, said that the minister, during his discussion with the archbishop, adopted a very positive stance on the issue of granting approval to the appointment of such teachers and ensuring them a salary.

He said as the chairman of the KC (M), which is a major constituent of the LDF, he could also take part in those discussions held here on Saturday.

Noting that steps would be taken at the government level to resolve the issue quickly, he also said there would soon be a complete solution in this regard.

The issue pertains to the state government's refusal to allow teacher appointments from the general category in cases where vacancies reserved for differently abled candidates remain unfilled in aided schools.