News and Views

Thiruvananthapuram: The LDF announced candidates for 124 of the 140 constituencies in the State on Thursday for the Assembly elections.

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI State executive has given green signal for party ticket to former Minister C. Divakaran.

Mr. Divakaran will be given exemption from the party’s thumb rule that leaders would not be given ticket a third time consecutively. Along with Mr. Divakaran, six other sitting members were also given exemption.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Oommen Chandy government is readying for another fight with the Election Commission of India after the one over drinking water supply in tankers.

This time, it is the backlog and fresh sanctions of assistance from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. The Commission has stalled heavy pay outs from the Fund in the last days of the government.

Kerala Government has suggested to the Central government to restrict journalists from using the right to information frequently.

The Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation had sought suggestions from State governments on amending the Right to Information Act “to remedy difficulties caused by fake and irrelevant RTI applications”.

In its response, the government suggested that professional media persons (Press, TV etc) might be kept out of the purview of eligible applicants or might be charged more for information given as such information are likely to be used for their publicity and profit.

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Saturday discussed issues such a freeing of Father Tom, who is believed to be in the custody of Islamic State, in Yemen and evacuation of Malayalees from Libya with Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj.