Govt transfers Idukki distt collector

Idukki District Collector, Raju Narayanaswamy, who took on political heavyweights during his brief tenure, has been transferred to Pathanamthitta.

The state cabinet that met here yesterday has decided to post Pathanamthitta District Collector Ashok Kumar Sinha in his place.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, who had picked up Swamy to assist the special task force constituted to end the encroachments in Idukki district, said he had received several complaints against the IAS topper.

He, however, refused to specify the complaints. He said the government had also felt the need for a strong officer in Idukki, where the evictions came to a standstill after task force chief Suresh Kumar and Inspector General Rishi Raj Singh were eased out following uproar from some of the ruling front constituents. Swamy’s transfer came a day after he ordered a probe into alleged encroachment of land by Kerala Congress (J) leader P.J. Joseph, who is preparing the ground for his return to the cabinet in place of T U Kuruvila, who resigned as Public Works Minister following the collector’s report about various violations in a land deal his children had with a Kuwait-based Non-Resident Keralite.

Interestingly, Joseph has welcomed the transfer and has demanded an inquiry into alleged violations of service rules by Swamy. Joseph said the IAS officer was not matured to hold responsible positions.

Swamy has refused to comment on the cabinet decision, which has evoked strong protests from various quarters. The Bharatiya Janata Party has called a shut down strike in Idukki district to protest against the transfer.

Idukki District Congress Committee president P.T. Thomas viewed it as a move to protect the corrupt and demanded the resignation of the chief minister. He told reporters that the transfer was under pressure from leaders of the LDF constituents, who had grabbed land in the hilly district.

Swamy, who had opted for the civil service leaving plum posts he got after passing out from Indian Institute of Technology saying he owed it to the poor, is an eye sour to parties of all hues because of his uncompromising stand against corrupt practices.

He had made his approach known in his post posting as sub-collector in Kottayam district when he took on his father-in-law, a contractor, who grabbed a public road to a poor neighbourhood while erecting a boundary wall to his property.

When his request not to misuse his position was turned down by the father-in-law, Swamy demolished the structure. In fact it was this fearless attitude that was considered by Achuthanandan to post him in Idukki during the eviction drive.

Robin Uthappa to get Rs 3 lakh from Kerala

Kerala government decided to award Rs 3 lakh to Robin Uthappa, member of the Indian cricket team that won the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters after a cabinet briefing, Achuthanandan Rs 5 lakh had already been announced for S Sree Santh, who hails from Kerala.

Though Uthappa's family was settled in Bangalore, his mother hails from Kozhikode in Kerala.

ISRO moves Kerala High Court on IISST land deal

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has moved the Kerala High Court, contending that the land purchased by it in Merchiston Estate in Thiruvananthapuram to set up the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IISST) did not fall under the ecologically fragile land (EFL) category.

Filing an application seeking to implead itself in the case, IISST Director Dr B N Suresh submitted that the 81.50 acres purchased by the ISRO from Southern Field Ventures Ltd on July 20, 2007, for setting up the IISST campus fell outside the 24.40 hectares of land directed to be maintained as EFL by the custodian of lands appointed under the Kerala Forest (Vesting and Management of Ecologically Fragile Lands) Act, 2003.

Opposing the public interest litigation filed by the NGO 'Friends of Environment', seeking to declare the land purchased by ISRO as EFL, he said this would adversely affect the Institute as the sale deed would be rendered non est (non existing) and a substantial loss of Rs 3.26 crore plus registration and development charges amounting to about Rs one crore would be cost to the exchequer.

Dr Suresh said the IISST had been created by the Department of Space, Government of India, to establish a world-class educational institute of excellence with the unique aim of integrating education with high technology research. For that purpose, it was felt that the Institute must be set up in a green, eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable campus.

He contended that ISRO purchased the land from a private party only after the Kerala Government informed the Institute through the District Collector, Thiruvananthapuram, as per letters dated February five and 12 last, its inability to provide suitable land in Thiruvananthapuram for setting up the Institute.

The application would come up for hearing tomorrow along with the main petition.

22 school children injured in road mishap

Twenty two school children were injured when the van in which they were travelling collided with a bus at nearby Erave near here this morning, police said.

The accident occurred when the van, which was on its way to the Al-Az-Har English medium school, rammed into the bus.

Besides the children, the driver of the bus was also injured in the mishap. The bus was proceeding to Triprayar from Thrissur, according to police.

The injured had been admitted to different private hospitals and condition of three of them was said to be serious.

P.J. Thomas new Chief Secretary of Kerala

Senior civil servant P J Thomas has been appointed as Chief Secretary in Kerala, replacing Lizzie Jacob, who quit the post in the backdrop of the row over ISRO land deal at Ponmudi.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today signed the orders appointing Thomas as the Chief Secretary, a spokesman in the Chief Minister's office said.

IAS officers' association on Sunday had expressed their strong reservations on the chief minister's decision to give the charge of the high-level post to K J Mathew, overlooking seniority of other officers, including Thomas.

A 1973 batch IAS officer, Thomas is presently Principal Secretary, Higher Education.

Lizzie Jacob had last week gone on three months' leave ahead of her plan to take voluntary retirement from service, apparently irked by Achuthanandan's open remark on her giving the nod for the construction of a helipad at Ponmudi without consulting him.

Community policing in all municipalities soon

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan today said the Government's community-based policing initiative, Janamaithri Suraksha Project (JSP), will soon be implemented in at least one municipality in every district in Kerala.

Inaugurating the State-level Consultation meeting on community policing here on Tuesday, Mr. Kodiyeri said there was consensus across the political spectrum to check mafia activity in the State. The Legislative Assembly's unanimous approval of the Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act was indicative of this trend.

Nearly 1.5 lakh people are arrested in Kerala annually. Most of these arrests are made in connection with traffic offences, which are categorized as involuntary crimes. A significant number of persons are arrested in connection with crimes committed impulsively. Only a small section of people fit the definition of criminals.

Mr. Kodiyeri said that community policing does not mean that the police is divesting itself of its duties. It is aimed at giving the police a people friendly face. JSP would enable the police to better understand the problems of the community and devise location specific policing strategies with inputs from law abiding citizens.

Justice K. T. Thomas said police should use force only in a defensive mode. The police have no special right to resort to physical violence. Custodial torture is the worst form of crime. Police stations should not become sanctuaries for law breakers in uniform. Police should instill a sense of security and confidence in citizens. Community policing should not be confused with vigilante action. Recently, citizens in Bhagalpur had lynched 10 migrants on the suspicion of committing theft in Bhagalpur.

Community policing should help the police and public develop a mutually beneficial relationship based on trust and principles of law. Opposition Leader Oomen Chandy said credibility was the strength of the police and it should be preserved at all costs. Director General of Police Raman Sreevastava, Additional Director General of Police Jacob Punnoose and Inspector General of Police B. Sandhya spoke.

No official from Central will be send for CS post

Delhi, Monday, 17 September: The PMO informed the state government today that officers on Central deputation from Kerala cadre will not be send for the current vacant post of Chief Secretary in the state. The officials on deputation are Gopala Krishna Pillai, Sudha Pillai and Vinod Rai.

Yesterday, I A S Association members had met Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan at Cliff house to inform their protest for handing over the charge of Chief Secreatary to K J Mathew without considering seniority. They blamed that this appointment is against the rules and P J Thomas is senior than K J Mathew. Lizzie Jacob had sought government’s permission  to quit service in the backdrop of the Ponmudi helipad issue.

IAS officers in Kerala resent CM's decision

IAS officers in Kerala today came out against the state government's decision to appoint the Home Secretary as the acting Chief Secretary in place of Lizzie Jacob, who quit the post following a row over the construction of a helipad at the site for ISRO's Space Institute.

A delegation of the state IAS Officers' Association called on Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan at his official residence today to convey their "sentiments" at the selection of Home Secretary K J Mathew as acting Chief Secretary while overlooking the seniority of several officers.

The association complained that in the selection to the top-most official post, the seniority of other officers, some of them on Central deputation and some serving in the state, had been overlooked, sources said.

Jacob had gone on leave ahead of taking voluntary retirement from service after the chief minister criticised her for not consulting him before giving approval to build the helipad at an estate at Ponmudi, part of which was purchased by the Indian Space Research Organisation for its Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology.

Walkout in Kerala assembly

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept. 14 (PTI): The Opposition UDF today staged a walk-out in the Kerala assembly after Speaker K Radhakrishnan refused to allow debate on the issue of Chief Secretary Lizzie Jacob quitting the post following an adverse remark by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan against her.

During a recent cabinet briefing, Achuthanandan had said that there was a lapse on Jacob's part in not informing him of the sanction given for construction of a helipad at Ponmudi where ISRO had purchased land for its Space Institute.

K Sudhakaran (Cong), who sought leave for an adjournment motion on the issue, said the Chief Minister's public criticism of the Chief Secretary would "destroy" the self confidence of civil servants. The Chief Secretary's decision to seek voluntary retirement had created an administrative impasse in the state.

He said it was for the first time that a Chief Secretary was stepping down owing to "distrust" expressed by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister had no right to continue in office if he was not in the know of what was happening in the General Administration Department headed by him, Sudhakaran said.

Kerala takes steps to reclaim land from space agency

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has taken steps to reclaim land that the opposition parties say was involved in a controversial deal involving the country's top space agency.

The land, which is part of Merchiston estate in the tourist spot of Ponmudi in Thiruvananthapuram district, was "bought" by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up a space technology institute.

The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) has demanded a probe into the sale of the land by the estate owner Xavi Mano Mathew.

The forest department yesterday issued notice to the "owners" to leave the estate within 30 days.

Helipad

It is also learnt that the authorities have issued notice to ISRO for attempting to build a helipad on the controversial land.

The UDF had alleged that the land sale was dubious, arguing the land had been declared a vested forest and notified as ecologically fragile and therefore could not have been sold to the ISRO.

The opposition had also demanded that forest minister Binoy Viswom be removed from his post so that the investigation would not be influenced by him.