Page 70 - Kerala

Kerala governor advancing BJP's political objectives, claims CPI(M)

The CPI(M) accused Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Tuesday of advancing the political objectives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by attempting to destabilise the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the state. Addressing a press conference here, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged that Khan's actions had no sanction of the Constitution. "The CPI(M) Central Committee strongly denounced the steps being taken by the governor of Kerala to advance the political objectives of the BJP to destabilise the LDF government. The manner in which he demanded the resignation of the vice-chancellors of various universities in the southern state and later, the resignation of the state finance minister, has no sanction of the Indian Constitution. "The governor, in his capacity as the chancellor of the universities in the state, has no authority given by the University Acts passed by the state legislature to initiate such actions," he said. Yechu

Kerala govt enhances retirement age of state PSU employees to 60

The Kerala government has enhanced the retirement age of employees of most of the state PSUs uniformly to 60, drawing sharp criticism from a left-wing youth organisation. The order was issued on Saturday based on the recommendations of an expert committee, which conducted a comprehensive study on the formulation of a common framework for pay/wage structure of PSUs in the state except Kerala State Electricity Board, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and Kerala Water Authority. The expert committee had recommended that the retirement age of employees of all state PSUs shall be enhanced uniformly to 60 as in the case of central PSUs. However, this will not be applicable to those employees who have already retired in accordance with the prevailing rules. The state leadership of the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI), protested against the government's decision to enhance the retirement age to 60, terming it as a move against th

Avian flu outbreak: Central team holds discussions with Alappuzha Collector

The high-level team of the Union Health Ministry to take stock of the avian influenza outbreak here on Sunday held discussions with the district Collector. A six-member team led by Senior Regional Director from the Office of Health and Family Welfare, Bangalore, Dr Rajesh Kademani, reached the state to investigate the outbreak in detail and submit a report with recommendations. The team held discussions with district Collector V R Krishna Teja, who informed the delegation that 15,937 ducks were culled in connection with the avian influenza. The Collector explained details of the culling and the precautionary steps taken by the district administration. The high-level team will visit in the coming days, places from where the outbreak was reported. District authorities informed the delegation that the Health and Animal Husbandry departments were closely monitoring the situation. The central team comprises experts drawn from the National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Dise

Kerala gold smuggling case: CM's ex-secy misusing state machinery, says ED

The Enforcement Directorate has told the Supreme Court that M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and accused of gold smuggling, has been influencing other accused and using state machinery to fabricate false cases against it and the investigating officer. The Kerala government machinery turned against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after Sivasankar's role was detected in the smuggling case and false cases were registered against directorate officials to derail probe and trial, the agency alleged. "Even though a letter was sent by the CM (chief minister) of Kerala to the PM (prime minister), when the investigation progressed and the role of his own then principal secretary was detected, the state machinery turned against the ED and registered false cases by influencing the accused and making efforts to derail the investigation and trial," it said. The ED filed its response in reply to the counter affidavit filed by Indian Administrative

Kerala govt moves HC to cancel advance bail of Congress MLA in rape case

The Kerala government on Friday moved the High Court here seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Congress MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly in a case of rape and attempt to murder. The government, in its plea, is seeking cancellation of the relief granted to him by a sessions court on October 20 by alleging that he is not cooperating with the investigation into the case, a lawyer associated with the matter said. The plea claims that the MLA was threatening witnesses in the case. The government contended that his custodial interrogation was necessary. Two days after he was given the anticipatory bail, the Congress in Kerala suspended him from the KPCC and DCC memberships for six months. The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), in a statement, said the explanation provided by the MLA for the allegations against him was not satisfactory and the party has suspended him from the KPCC and District Congress Committee (DCC) memberships for six months. Besides rape and attempt to

Employment exchange registrations yet to reach the pre-pandemic levels

Around 32.24 lakh jobseekers got registered on the employment exchanges during 2021, whereas only 20.7 lakh jobseekers were registered in 2020 pandemic year

Kerala govt to meet Byju's executives on Nov 2 as 170 staff asked to resign

A meeting was called by the officials of the labour department on October 25, but the company did not appear for meeting

Health ministry deploys team to Kerala to check avian influenza outbreak

The Union health ministry has deployed a high-level team to Kerala to take stock of the avian influenza outbreak in the state. The team will investigate the outbreak in detail and submit a report with recommendations, the ministry said in a statement. The seven-member central team to Kerala comprises experts drawn from the National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi; the National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi; the National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai; and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. The team is headed by Dr Rajesh Kedamani, Sr RD, Regional Office of Health and Family Welfare, Bangalore. The team will also assist the state health departments in terms of public health measures, management guidelines and protocols to manage the increasing cases of avian influenza being reported by the state, the statement added. With the outbreak of avian influenza confirmed among ducks in Kerala's Alappuzha district, authorities

Kerala Guv is a disgrace to the Constitutional position he holds: Congress

The Congress on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, calling him a "disgrace to the Constitutional position he holds" and expressed doubts whether the ongoing fight between the Left government and the Raj Bhavan in the southern state is a "shadow boxing bout like previous ones." The Congress' national leadership hit out at the Governor after a row over his letter to the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking action against Finance Minister K N Balagopal. "The Kerala Governor is an all-party man. He has been in many political parties in his career. He is frankly a disgrace to the Constitutional position he holds much like his counterpart in Maharashtra and other states", AICC general secretary (media and communication) Jairam Ramesh told PTI. The party national leadership's statement referring to Khan's associations with various other political parties before coming closer to the BJP came a day after a row erupted in Kerala over Khan's letter to

Senior Congress leader Satheesan Pacheni passes away at a private hospital

Senior Congress leader and former general secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, Satheesan Pacheni died at a private hospital in the district on Thursday, party sources said. He was 54. Pacheni was battling for his life for the past one week after he had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on October 16. Though he unsuccessfully contested elections five times to the state Assembly and once to the Lok Sabha, the aggressive fight he had showcased against CPI(M) stalwart and former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan in Malampuzha in 2001 made him popular in mainstream politics. He managed to shrink the winning margin of Achuthanandan in the Left bastion to just 4703 votes during the election. The Congress leader again tried his luck against the Left leader in 2006 Assembly polls but could not succeed. Beginning his political career as a volunteer of the Kerala Students' Union (KSU), the student outfit of the Congress, Satheesan Pacheni later became its general secretary and t

Kerala-based IT firms secure business leads worth Rs 80 crore at GITEX

Over 2,000 business leads worth Rs 80 crore were generated by the IT companies from Kerala which took part in the recently concluded global IT exhibition (GITEX) at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Thirty IT companies from the three IT parks in Kerala -- Technopark, Infopark and Cyberpark -- showcased their products and service at the GITEX. "Nearly two dozen business deals have been finalised by various companies during the 5-day event," Kerala IT Parks said in a release. The pavilion of the Kerala IT parks at the expo was organised by group of technology companies (GTech), an industry body of IT and business process management (BPM) organisations in Kerala, it said. The event attracting the best IT talent and IT solution seeking entrepreneurs from around the globe was a perfect platform to network and partner up with a number of entities. CEO of Kerala IT Parks Snehil Kumar Singh said the IT sector in the State was witnessing fast-paced growth and

Kerala guv writes to CM Vijayan, wants finance minister Balagopal sacked

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, in a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday, informed that he has "ceased to enjoy pleasure" in Finance Minister KN Balagopal

Kerala varsity row kicks up political storm; CM Vijayan warns Guv Khan

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's move to seek the resignation of Vice-Chancellors of nine universities has kicked up a huge political storm in the southern state with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday issuing a stern warning to the Constitutional head asking him not to cross the limits of his powers. Meanwhile, the ruling LDF announced two-day state-wide protests beginning on Tuesday. Amid growing tension between the Raj Bhavan and the Left government, Khan, using his powers as the chancellor, issued show-cause notices to Vice-Chancellors of nine universities after they refused to send their resignation letters to him before 11.30 AM on Monday as per his directive on Sunday. The Vice Chancellors have been given time till November 3 to respond. The "unusual steps" initiated by Khan also led to a legal battle with eight vice-chancellors challenging the chancellor's move in the Kerala High Court. The high court held a special sitting on Monday evening, despite being a holi

Governor has no authority to seek resignations of VCs, says Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday lashed out at Governor Arif Mohammed Khan for seeking resignation of vice chancellors of nine universities in the state. Vijayan said the Governor has no such powers and accused him of acting against the Constitution and the essence of democracy. The Chief Minister alleged that the Governor's move was an encroachment on the powers of a democratically elected government, and the universities that are supposed to be academically independent. A day after Khan kicked up a political storm seeking resignation of vice chancellors of nine varsities in the state, Vijayan said it was an unusual move and accused him of "waging war" with an intention to "destroy" the universities in the state. "It was the Governor who appointed the VCs of these nine universities and if these appointments were made illegally, then the primary responsibility lies with the Governor himself," the Chief Minister said, adding that the chancellor has no authority to se

Kerala Guv issues show cause notices to nine VCs amid varsity row

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday issued notices to Vice-Chancellors of nine universities after they refused to send their resignation letters to him before 11.30 AM as per his directive on Sunday. This was disclosed by the Governor himself, who is also the chancellor of the universities in the state. "Now, they have refused to resign. Now formal notices have been issued", Khan told a press conference here. He said the notices were issued upholding the verdict of the Supreme Court, which has declared as "void ab initio" any appointment as a Vice-Chancellor made on the recommendation of the Search Committee, which is constituted contrary to the provisions of the UGC regulation. "Now, it is in the light of the Supreme Court decision why I should not declare your appointment "void ab initio", Khan said when asked about the details of the show-cause notices. He said the Vice Chancellors have been given time till November 3 to respond. Khan also rejected the allegations of

Guv seeks resignation of VCs of 9 varsities in Kerala by Monday morning

Armed with a recent Supreme Court order quashing appointment of the vice chancellor (VC) of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University here for being contrary to UGC regulations, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Sunday sought resignations of VCs of nine varsities in the state. The nine VCs include that of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, according to a tweet by Kerala Raj Bhavan on behalf of the Governor. "Upholding the verdict of Hon'ble SupremeCourt dt 21.10.22 in Civil Appeal Nos.7634-7635 of 2022(@ SLP(c)Nos.21108-21109 of 2021), Hon'ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan has directed Vice Chancellors of 9 varsities in Kerala to tender resignation: PRO,KeralaRajBhavan," the tweet, accompanied by a list of the varsities, said. The Raj Bhavan said Khan, as Chancellor of Universities in the state, also directed that the resignations reach him by 11.30 am on Monday. Reacting to the Governor's decision, the ruling CPI(M) termed it as an outcome of the Sangh Parivar's .

Guv Arif keeps blowing hot, but CM Pinarayi says 'This is Kerala'

'Ethu Keralam aanu (This is Kerala) is the stock phrase that CM Pinarayi uses time and again, mostly when he wants to lash out either at the Centre or at his now bete noire - Governor Arif

Congress, BJP want FIR to be registered against CPI(M) leaders: Swapna

The sexual assault charges raised by gold smuggling through diplomatic channel case prime accused Swapna Suresh against three prominent leaders of the ruling CPI(M) triggered a political controversy in Kerala on Saturday. Opposition Congress and BJP leaders urged the police to register a case against the trio and asked the Left government to shed its silence over the issue. Suresh, while talking to a TV channel, had alleged on Friday that the leaders -- two former ministers and an ex-Assembly speaker -- had sought sexual favours from her. However, neither the leaders nor the Marxist party reacted to the startling charges so far. KPCC chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan said it has been seen in Kerala's history that an FIR gets registered and investigated when such grave allegations are levelled. Pointing out the recent rape and assault cases registered against their party MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly, the Congress leaders also said if a case

'Untraceable' Kerala MLA appears before media; says innocent in rape case

A day after he was granted anticipatory bail by a court in a case of rape and attempt to murder, Congress MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly on Friday appeared before the media and claimed that he was innocent and had done nothing wrong as alleged by the complainant woman. The two-time legislator expressed confidence that he could prove charges against him as wrong in the court and could come out clean. Kunnappilly, who met reporters separately at his house here, also said he gave his explanation to the Congress party as directed by the KPCC and it was up to them to decide on further steps. Asked why he had gone absconding after the victim approached the police with the complaint, the Perumbavoor MLA just said his anticipatory bail plea was before the court. "My anticipatory bail plea was before the court. I have not done anything wrong. I submitted every proof for that before the court. It will be proved that I have committed nothing wrong," Kunnappilly said. The police and party leadershi

Healthcare services received at home are GST exempt, rules Kerala authority

It cites government note saying healthcare services provided by clinical establishments or authorised medical practitioners would not attract GST