News and Views

Kerala Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau has started a drive to collect intelligence on frauds.

Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas has directed all officers and staff of all units of the Bureau to collect intelligence on emerging corruption-linked frauds and potential future frauds and send details periodically to the computer cell of the Bureau. This would be updated on Bureau Web site and social media.

As many as 160886 cases were pending disposal before the Kerala High Court as on March 31 this year. Of them, 36370 were criminal cases.

The district courts had pendency of 34772 civil cases and 32559 criminal cases. Sub courts had pendency of 56356 civil and 18351 criminal cases.

Thiruvananthapuram:  The Government has decided to conduct a good governance audit into allegations of misuse of legal offices of the State during UDF rule, Minister for Law A. K. Balan told the Assembly on Thursday.

The Minister said that whether the then Advocate General and the then Director General of Prosecution had used the official set up to defend the allegations against ministers and officials of previous government was being examined.

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan said in the Assembly on Thursday that his government emphasised clear policy, precise execution, strong administration and infrastructure development.

Replying to discussion on motion of thanks to the Governor for his address, the Chief Minister said that draft policies on various sectors such as information technology and industries would be announced shortly.

The White Paper of State Finances, presented to the Assembly on Thursday, says that Kerala will have to ensure a sustained annual growth rate of 20 to 25 per cent in tax collection.

The State will have to gear up its tax machinery for this purpose. There was no escape from this conclusion given the limited range of fiscal choices available to the State.