News and Views

Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said on Friday that the government was questioning the very basis of the Right to Information Act by refusing to comply with the order of the State Information Commission to release details of Cabinet decisions.
Addressing a press conference here, the Opposition Leader said government was afraid of releasing information.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan told the Assembly on Friday that the government had communicated to the Centre its concerns regarding the approval, in principle, granted for Kulachal port within 30 km from the Vizhinjam port under construction in Kerala.

He had also sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month to take up the issue directly with him.

Thiruvananthapuram: The government will go on appeal before High Court against the order of the State Information Commission that details of Cabinet decisions taken by the previous government should be released under RTI Act.

This has been communicated to the Commission by the government.

Kerala Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan rejected objections raised by Opposition members against introduction of the Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Amendment Bill in the Assembly on Thursday.

The Speaker said that the Bill was being introduced for the limited purpose of avoiding disqualification of a member of the House upon his appointment as Chairperson of the proposed Administrative Reforms Commission. State legislature had powers to legislate on the matter and the Supreme Court had upheld the power.

Kerala Finance Minister T. M. Thomas Isaac told the Assembly on Thursday that the State government would have to take certain financial risks for infrastructure development.

Replying to the debate on the demands for grants on account, the Minister said that the State had highly educated youth on account of the developmental model followed by it. They have to be found new jobs in sectors such as Information technology, biotechnology, light engineering and tourism.