No monitoring of movements of UDF MLAs: Chandy

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today refuted reports of police monitoring of movements of some MLAs of UDF coalition partners and said "no such thing has happened".
"No such thing has happened. UDF government has not monitored the movement of any MLA and will not do so. There is no danger to the stability of the government," he told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
A reported statement over the issue by UDF Convenor P P Thankachen recently had triggered a row recently.
Chandy pointed out that Thankachen had himself denied having said it and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala also dismissed reports in this regard.

The CM also made it clear that there was no threat to the stability of the UDF government in the state.
Ever since the Chandy government assumed office after the 2011 assembly polls, it has been precariously placed in the 140-member Kerala assembly. UDF has 73 members, while CPI(M) led LDF opposition has 65. The lone Kerala Congress(B) member K B Ganeshkumar had recently left UDF.

One seat is vacant following the death of former Assembly Speaker G Karthikeyan.
On other cabinet decisions, he said it had decided to amend the 1974 Kerala Cashew Factories Acquisition Act for restoring the 10 cashew factories under CAPEX in the public sector. The Governor would be requested to issue the Ordinance regarding the same, he said.

The Supreme Court had in a recent order directed that the factories be returned to private owners and the amendment is widely seen as a move to overcome the apex court ruling.
The CM said government has decided to prohibit use of air horns in vehicles in the state. The Motor Vehicles Department has been instructed to check if the law is strictly adhered to, he said, adding the new direction would be applicable to all vehicles, including that of ministers and other VIPs.