News

Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday decided to seek a loan of 85 million euros (Rs. 631.65 crore) from Germany for the Kochi integrated water transport project.

The State government will have share of Rs. 103 crore in the project, an official release said.

The Cabinet also decided to recommend to the Governor the appointment of journalist Parvathi Devi and Dr. P. Suresh Kumar as members of the Public Service Commission.

The Assembly saw noisy scenes on Wednesday over remarks made by M. Swaraj (CPI-M) during second day of the general discussion on the revised Budget on Tuesday.
Raising the issue, V. D. Satheesan (Congress) said that the Member had denigrated the Opposition by citing a verse (Mathew 7, 6) from the Bible after describing the Budget as holy. The verse, though Mr. Swaraj did not read it out, was aimed at the Opposition.

The Opposition members staged a walk out in the Assembly on Wednesday over murders in Kannur district and elsewhere.

The House also witnessed noisy scenes as UDF members rushed to the well of the House in protest against allegedly disparaging gestures made by Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran at Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala while he was speaking in the House ahead of the walk-out.

The protest ended only after Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan agreed to examine the video recording of the proceedings.

Thiruvananthapuram: The interim order of Green Tribunal to withdraw diesel vehicles older than ten years from six cities of the State will, in effect, take away 6100 transport vehicles and 40000 non transport vehicles from the roads of Kerala,  Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran informed the Assembly on Tuesday.

Thiruvananthapuram: Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy demanded in the Assembly on Tuesday that the support price for paddy should be increased.

Participating in the general discussion on the revised Budget for the current year, Mr. Chandy said that increasing the rubber subsidy for farmers with holdings of up to two hectares should also be considered.