Friday, Feb 06, 2004
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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Kerala
By Our Staff Reporter
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 5. The State Government will take necessary steps against the soft drink companies in Palakkad district on the basis of the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) set up to look into the safety standards of soft drinks, the Chief Minister, A.K.Antony, has said. Replying to questions of K.P. Mohanan, Raju Abraham, V.S. Achuthanandan, A. Neelalohitadasan Nadar, A.C. Shanmughadas, and C.K. Nanu on the floor of the Assembly today, Mr. Antony said the State Government was not aware of the actual contents of the JPC report. A copy of the report would be obtained soon and necessary steps would be taken on its basis. If the previous Government had committed any lapses in according sanction to the companies, it would be rectified soon. The previous Government took a hasty decision in granting permission, but if the Government unilaterally decided to close down the factories, it would have created other problems, Mr. Antony said. Regarding the pollution threat, Mr. Antony said the State had laws to check pollution, but they were not being enforced properly. If the political parties and cultural leaders do not take protection of environment as their main agenda, Kerala would soon become a State of people suffering from deadly diseases. A ban on plastics above 20 microns is being considered. The Clean Kerala project to be implemented this year would be a solution to the pollution threat. Modern solid waste treatment plants would be installed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis with the cooperation of local bodies. A sum of Rs. 10 crores had been set apart in the budget for the project and guidelines for solid waste management had been published, he said. Mr. Antony told A.K. Balan that functions of the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) would be expanded. Paucity of funds was the major impediment. The Union Human Resource Development Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, had assured assistance, he said. The Swiss and Dutch Government aid for Kerala Research Programme for Local-level Development started by the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) was in tune with conventional norms and procedures, Mr. Antony told A.P. Anil Kumar, Loudy Louis, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, P.T. Thomas and Thomas Isaac. As many as 26 individuals and various other institutions got Rs. 1.37 crores through the CDS for studies and research purposes. No probe has been planned on the issue. The Government is not opposed to accepting foreign aid, but it should be in a transparent manner. Mr. Antony said the CDS was functioning in an efficient manner and it had prepared many good projects that had helped growth and development. He warned against dragging the name of the institution into political controversies. The Government is considering a proposal to give judicial powers to Superintendents of Police. The Kochi Police Commissioner will be given the powers on an experimental basis, Mr. Antony told M.V. Jayarajan, P. Jayarajan, Raju Abraham and K.P. Satheesh Chandran. In a written reply to Saju Paul, Mr. Antony said that as many as 1,53,828 cases are pending in 34 Motor Accidents Claim Tribunals in the State up to November 30, 2003.
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