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Cabinet decides to file review petition on trawling

Special Correspondent

Court verdict extending the ban on trawling during monsoon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to file a review petition on the Supreme Court verdict extending the ban on trawling during southwest monsoon.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan told presspersons after the weekly Cabinet meeting that the Supreme Court had extended the seasonal ban on trawling across the country up to August 15. This will create problems, as the State Government had already imposed a ban for 45 days ahead of the Central ban.

On the confusion in higher education sector, the Chief Minister said the court had prevented the Government from enforcing the Kerala Professional Colleges Act. However, the Government wanted the provisions of the Act to be implemented this year itself. So, it filed an appeal before the Division Bench against the order.

The Government, he said, was doing its best to consult all on the self-financing colleges issue. Though some bishops had issued statements against the Government, they are now showing better understanding of the Government's stand. Mr. Achut hanandan said the Cabinet proposed to issue an Ordinance to resolve the issue of eviction of about 800 to 900 families occupying excess land at Ambayathodu in Kozhikode district. The Supreme Court had ordered their eviction in a month. The Ordinance would facilitate resolution of the issue in a year. Title deeds would be issued after examination of the claims of the families during that period.

He said the Government directive to heads of the departments and District Collectors to report existing vacancies in Government service in two weeks had yielded good results. As many as 15,633 of an estimated 18,000 vacancies had been reported to the Public Service Commission. A decision had been taken to speed up the reporting process in respect of the remaining vacancies.

The Chief Minister said that action would be taken against police officials responsible for the lock-up death in Kozhikode and excesses in other places after inquires. Explanation had been sought from the officials responsible for alleged dereliction of duty with respect to the fax sent to the National Commission on Minority Educational Institutions, on the basis of the report of the Chief Secretary.

To a question, Mr. Achuthanandan said the security situation in the State was not bad. No incident occurred following the Mumbai blasts. If any Keralite had any links with extremists, arrangements were in place to control their activities.

To another question, the Chief Minister said the Maharashtra Chief Secretary had criticised Kerala for sending a higher official to Mumbai to take care of the treatment of the injured Malayalis alone. The Chief Secretary's accusation about parochialism on the part of Kerala was just the Chief Secretary's view, Mr. Achuthanandan said.

The Chief Minister said that he was pursuing the demand made by him as Leader of the Opposition that the sale of ITDC Hotel at Kovalam, valued at Rs.400 crores, for Rs.43 crores should be probed. Though Leela Group owner Krishnan Nair, who subsequently acquired the hotel, had promised not to proceed with cases against the Government takeover of Halcyon Palace, Mr. Nair had not kept his word. The hotel group had encroached upon the disputed land and removed coconut trees. There were complaints that the police had acted excessively in listing Mr. Nair as an accused in the case.

To another question, Mr. Achuthanandan said he would examine whether any Minister had enjoyed the hospitality of the hotel group. The circumstances under which the Industries Department issued an order in favour of a private mineral sand-mining company in Kochi would also be looked into.

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