Cabinet names commission to probe police lathicharge before High Court

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday decided to appoint retired judge P. A. Mohammed as enquiry commission to probe police lathicharge that had taken place in front of the High Court following conflict between journalists and lawyers.

An officials release said that the Commission would enquire into events that led to the lathicharge under the Commission of Enquiries Act. As the High Court had intimated that the services of a sitting judge could not be spared for the enquiry, a retired judge was being appointed.

The Cabinet extended the moratorium on recovery of loans availed by endosulfan victims by another year. The term of Justice Hariharan Nair Commission, appointed to study the backwardness of Nadar community, was extended by six months.

It also decided to leave appointments to Coir Workers Welfare Fund Board to the Public Service Commission. Pay scales of employees of Khadi and Village Industries Board would be revised.

Former Executive Director of SEBI C. Radhakrishnan Nair and former member of Finance Commission Sudipto Mundle would be appointed as independent members of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board.

The Cabinet decided to communicate to the committee, appointed by the Centre to recommend on changing the system of reckoning of the financial year, that the State government favoured continuation of the present system of reckoning of the financial year from April to March.

The Cabinet granted a solatium of Rs. 5 crore to the parents of Dr. P. A. Baiju who died of consumption of poisoned drug.

It named Dr. T. N. Seema for appointment as Vice Chairman of Harithakeralam Mission. Dr. B. S. Corrie would be Director of Kerala Forest Research Institute. S. C. Joshi would head of forest force.

The release said that a new government arts and science college would start functioning at Vypeen from next academic year.