Thiruvananthapuram, July 6 (IANS) The Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) on Monday withdrew its controversial decision to have the Examination Controller investigate the alleged recruitment scam in appointments to the State Planning Board and instead handed the probe to its Superintendent of Police, Internal Vigilance, following sharp opposition from within the Commission itself.The reversal came after several PSC members questioned Chairman Dr M.R. Baiju’s decision to entrust the inquiry to…
Latest LDF Government News & Updates
Thiruvananthapuram, June 29 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister, V.D. Satheesan, on Monday signaled a review of the previous LDF government’s flagship Women’s Safety Scheme, alleging that it was hastily rolled out on the eve of the Assembly elections to deceive women voters rather than as a genuine welfare initiative.Replying to an adjournment motion in the Assembly, CM Satheesan said his government had not decided to discontinue the scheme but would first examine serious complaints regarding the ident…
Kochi, June 26 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has widened its investigation into the alleged CMRL-Exalogic ‘masappadi’ (monthly payment) case to examine whether Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd. received undue favours from the erstwhile LDF government, even as it subjected T. Veena, daughter of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, to more than 10 hours of questioning in Kochi a day earlier.The agency is learnt to be examining whether the monthly payments allegedly made by CMRL to V…
Thiruvananthapuram, June 20 (IANS) A political storm erupted on Saturday over the Budget proposal allowing a lower tax structure for low-alcohol beverages, with former Kerala Excise Minister and CPI-M leader M.B. Rajesh attacking the move and the present Excise Minister M. Liju dismissing allegations of a new liquor policy. Reacting to Rajesh’s charges, Minister Liju said the Budget announcement by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan was only a financial exercise involving taxation of wine and liquor …
Thiruvananthapuram, June 19 (IANS) Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s maiden Budget, questioning the government’s claim of a financial crisis and alleging that the document lacked a vision for the state’s future.Reacting to the Budget, Vijayan said the narrative built around Kerala being in a severe financial crisis, first through the White Paper and later repeated during the Budget presentation, app…
Thiruvananthapuram, June 9 (IANS) Former Chief Minister and CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday accused the Congress-led UDF government of facilitating attempts to “saffronise” Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) in Kottayam, alleging the involvement of the Governor’s office.In a social media post on Tuesday, Vijayan said secular and democratic forces must come forward against what he described as efforts by the Sangh Parivar to gain control over the state’s higher education sector.He …
Thiruvananthapuram, June 5 (IANS) Kerala’s Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday termed the UDF government’s decision to dismiss tribal mentor teachers as a ‘grave injustice’ and demanded that they be reinstated immediately, saying the move would adversely affect the education of tribal students. Vijayan said the mentor teacher programme was introduced by the LDF government to prevent school dropouts among tribal children and provide them with academic support.As many as 308 mentor tea…
Thiruvananthapuram, June 5 (IANS) The first Budget of the new Kerala government, to be presented by Chief Minister and Finance Minister V.D. Satheesan on June 19, is expected to focus on a major course correction for Kerala’s finances after a White Paper exposed serious gaps between earlier budget projections and the state’s actual fiscal position. With the government facing an estimated shortfall of nearly Rs 20,500 crore in Central fund transfers this financial year, CM Satheesan’s maide…
New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) The raging controversy over Munambam land dispute has ignited further, with Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar escalating the matter with the Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday and demanding urgent redressal of residents’ concerns regarding the registration of ‘highly contentious’ pieces of land on the UMEED portal. Chandrasekhar, in a letter to Rijiju, claimed that the Waqf Board registered more than 400 acres of land in Munambam on the portal …
Thiruvananthapuram, March 30 (IANS) With the Assembly election campaign entering its final and most intense phase, Kerala’s political discourse is being shaped by a high stakes challenge, an open debate between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan.What began as a political dare has quickly evolved into a potential centrepiece of the campaign narrative.Satheesan’s call for a public debate on development has been met with a guarded but clear willingness …