News and Views

The government has withdrawn restriction on women from joining the trekking programme under the Forest Department to Agastyakoodam (Agastya peak).

Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan gave the directive to the Department in this respect against the background of media reports about the discrimination and Supreme Court observation that there was no legal ground for keeping women away from Sabarimala. However, the Forest Department is yet to remove the condition that trekking is limited to male applicants from the Website for online booking.

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has written to External Affairs Minister Sushama Swaraj calling for immediate steps to save the four Malayalees who are imprisoned in Togo.

K. A. Shaji, Tharun Babu, Nithin Babu and O. A. Godwin have been sentenced to four years imprisonment in Togo. They were recruited to Ghana by an agent named Arun Chandran in 2013. They were arrested in Togo for not having required job visa or work permit.

A section of the Government employees and teachers went on a token strike on Tuesday under the aegis of action council of State employees and teachers unions.

Attendance was generally low in government offices. An official release said that 65.2 per cent of the employees reported for work at the Secretariat. If one excluded those on leave, the attendance was 70.1 per cent. In the districts, 62.45 per cent of employees reported for duty. (updated)

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced on Monday that the extension of Kochi Metro Rail to Ankamali would be considered later.

Inaugurating the mini civil station at Ankamali, the Chief Minister said that Nedubassery- Ankamali line would be considered after taking up the Thrikkakkara- West Kochi section.

The United Democratic Front is witnessing a churning with some of its minor constituents reconsidering its relations and splinter groups leaving the Front.