News and Views

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarai  Vijayan said in Delhi on Saturday that the Mullaperiyar issue should be solved through discussions.

The number of women getting elected to Kerala Assembly remains more or less static though women contesting the elections have been going up since 2001. Only eight women will be swearing-in as members when the 14^th Kerala Assembly begins its first session on June 2.

In the 13^th Assembly, their number was just seven. The highest number of women was elected to the Assembly in 1996. Even then, it was only 13 members despite the high literacy and better status of women in the State.

The surveillance cameras that act as the watchdog ensuring security screening of critical areas of Kochi are in disrepair for the past one year.
As many as 55 cameras are not working owing to disconnection for metro work, cable complaint and damage due to accidents. Public address systems at traffic junctions are also not working, documents obtained under Right to Information Act show.

A Cabinet subcommittee headed by A. K. Balan will examine the legality of controversial decisions taken by the previous government after January 1 this year.

These include permissions granted to projects that involved reclamation of wet lands, regularisation of land transfers and assignment of government lands which had become an election issue.

Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan told the media after the first meeting of his Cabinet that Ministers Thomas Isaac, V. S. Sunil Kumar and ministers of other LDF constituents would be members of the committee.

A 19-member Left Democratic Front (LDF) ministry headed by CPI (M) polit bureau member Pinarai Vijayan was sworn in here on Wednesday.

Governor P. Sathasivam administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Chief Minister designate and minister designates.