News and Views

Thiruvananthapuram: The selection committee constituted for appointment the State Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners recommended retired Director General of Police Vinson M. Paul for the post of Chief Information Commissioner in preference to Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson and others.

BJP Central election committee’s decision to defer approval of list of 22 candidates for Kerala Assembly elections submitted by the Kerala unit amounts to disapproval of the manner of functioning of the State unit.

It also shows that the national leadership of the party gives more importance than the State unit to allies especially the Bharatiya Dharama Jana Sena.  It is notable that the BDJS was demanding a few of the seats included in the list.

The government has issued a notification exempting the top secret section of the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau dealing with enquires against Chief Minister, ministers, former ministers and elected representatives of people and all India service officers from the purview of the Right to Information Act.

Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday decided to drop the plan to print State lotteries in a private printing press.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the media after the Cabinet meeting that the government had taken the decision as the public sector Kerala Books and Publications Society (KBPS) had come forward to improve its efficiency and print 40 lakh more tickets a week.

The government move to entrust the part of the printing job to the private press with equity participation of State Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO) had given rise to a controversy.

The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to not to withdraw the controversial order to accept basic tax from Karuna Plantations of Poabs group in Wayanad district as demanded by KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran.

Instead, it amended the order to the effect that tax should be accepted only after the High Court gives its order on the writ petition filed by the estate objecting to government decision to survey the land. The original order dated March 1 this year to the village officer was to accept the tax on 833 acres subject to the result of the writ petition.